


What Tomorrow Brings

by IAmAllYetNotAtAll



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, jalec - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-07-03 15:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 80,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmAllYetNotAtAll/pseuds/IAmAllYetNotAtAll
Summary: Magnus finds young Alec and Isabelle living on the streets of New York in a time of chaos among the Downworlders and takes them in. He doesn't know their last name, how they ended up on the streets, or why they seem to have so many secrets, but they have the Sight and he can't bear to leave them on their own.As they grow older and discover the atrocities happening in the Shadoworld, Alec takes on the mantle his mother had left behind to protect his family. And Jace? He's a whirlwind of flirting and secrets that crashes into their lives and refuses to leave. Together they may bring about the change the Shadoworld needs.





	1. Meeting Isabelle Lightwood

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome :) This story is nearly complete! It's currently at about 70K words with 22 chapters and I'm expecting to add another 5-10k or so. Chapters will come out weekly(ish).

_1._

"Get away from me!"

Unfortunately, this was not a cry that was unfamiliar to Magnus in the darkened streets of New York City. Nor one that he made the habit of ignoring.

Stepping into the alleyway he paused at the sight, startled to see a young girl smash her large textbook against the side of a man's head. It was certainly a vampire, he knew by experience and also by how little the rather aggressive strike threw him off. The man, baring his fangs, pulled up straight and took a step towards the young girl who didn't flinch in fear as Magnus would have expected.

Magnus cleared his throat and the vampire froze on the spot, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye then switching from a snarl to what could almost be construed as a pout.

"Magnus," he spat out, "what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. I'm sure you can see yourself out." With a flourish he gestured to the opposite end of the alleyway, fingers wiggling in a gentle reminder of where exactly his powers would come from if the vampire chose to fight back.

The vampire's fangs withdrew and he stomped away, leaving Magnus and the young girl alone in the alley.

He turned to her and took a good look to see if she was injured. He seemed to have arrived quickly enough as he found no traces of blood on her ill-fitting lilac sweater or any bite marks anywhere on her person. Her bag was thrown on the ground and she held what he could now see to be a book on anatomy (not the fun kind either, just a veiny and red human-shaped figure on the front).

There was a strand loose from her high ponytail and her black-rimmed glasses were askew, but otherwise, she was completely undisturbed by the sudden attack.

If he had to guess she probably hadn't reached her teens yet; which raised the question of why she'd been walking around at dusk all by herself.

"Are you alright?" He asked mostly as a courtesy, already knowing the answer for himself.

"Yes, I'm fine. So what are you then?" His head tilted in confusion at the wording, and she added, "Didn't seem surprised by fang boy over here, and I thought vamps only listened to their own kind, so... What does that make you?"

"Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn," he introduced himself, holding out a hand that she shook eagerly.

"I've never met a warlock before! You're much more pleasant than the others I've met. Though you're the first one that hasn't tried to murder me, so, the bar isn't really high. My name's Isabelle, and thanks for saving my life. Wish I could repay you, but unless you accept library books you're all out of luck." She took her seemingly decomposing bag that, once thrown over her shoulder, was clearly being weighed down by other books of varying sizes.

"Not letting people be munched on in my city is payment enough. And what might you be then?" There were many mundanes that had partial Sight, catching strange things out of the corner of their eyes but never in plain view, but those with full Sight were rare. And even more rare were those that had the resources to know what they were seeing.

"I'm a..." Isabelle looked at her watch and cursed in Spanish, "I'm a girl who's going to be killed by her big brother! I've gotta go - bye Magnus!" With surprising speed she dashed out of the alley with a wave over her shoulder.

He waved back, though doubted she'd seen it in her haste. Per policy he kept a tab on her to make sure she arrived home safely; it would be such a waste if he'd saved her just for her to be attacked a second time.

It was a rundown apartment complex in the deepest recesses of Brooklyn; a little nook that Magnus deemed the shame of his city. Isabelle climbed up the fire escape to the fourth story and slipped in through an unlocked window. Strange, but not his business. She got home alive and in one piece, his self-proclaimed task was complete.

By the next morning, he had mostly forgotten the encounter.

_2._

The second time he saw Isabelle was a couple of months later. She was in jeans and a big red sweater with some sort of sports team logo on the front, colours faded and sleeves a bit frayed from wear. It was similar to what she'd worn last time, but having an idea of her living conditions he chose not to comment or give unwanted fashion advice as he was normally prone to do.

Her smile was wide as she popped up in front of him, "Hiya Magnus!" She brushed her hair back, a few strands loose from her messy bun, and caught her breath from the short jog she'd taken to catch up with him.

"Hello." She'd caught him by surprise and it was all he could say around his mouthful of coffee.

After working out a contract with the most boring client he'd ever had the misfortune of dealing with he'd treated himself with a grande vanilla latte. It was helping to bring a bit more cheer to his day, though this encounter might be what he really needed.

"How're you doing?" she asked politely, but her smile revealed her genuine giddiness at getting to see him. Magnus couldn't fathom why.

"I'm doing well, and how are you, dear Isabelle?" They were in the middle of the sidewalk, and they stepped off to the side to let people walk past. It was still light out this time, and the threats were minimal.

"I'm good!"

"I'm glad to see you weren't killed by your big brother," he teased, a reminder of their last conversation.

She laughed, "Alec is overprotective; doesn't like me being out at night."

"Sounds like a smart boy."

"Very. I think you'd like him. Are you busy? I'd invite you for coffee, but you have some, how about just a walk?"

"I... suppose we can do that."

Isabelle was forceful for what he later learned to be a 12-year-old, and he couldn't deny her request. Mostly it was curiousity. Who was she? _What_ was she?

Turned out there was still a lot she didn't know about Downworlders aside from the basics, and she was a well full of questions. Magnus answered everything and quickly learned she was not as forthcoming with her own answers. Secrets made sense in the kind of world they lived in, but it left him troubled and wondering if he should have said no to her request.

"I thought there were rules about vampires attacking mundanes." They were nearing her home, and also the place they had met, and it seemed to bring forth the less than pleasant memories of her attack.

"The Accords," he supplied, "And... times are changing. Not for the better. I know all of this might be interesting to you, a whole other world of things that are said only to be stories all in front of you to explore, but times are dark. I recommend you assimilate into the mundane world as best as you can and pretend you know nothing - it's the only way to keep yourself safe. In the future, it'd be best that if you see me, or any other Downworlder, that you pass them by without a word."

She stopped walking then, and turned to him, "I know," she mumbled, "that's what my brother says, too. I've heard... things. People are getting hurt and it's terrifying, but... It still feels like a world I'm a part of, in a way. Hiding feels like... Like being a coward. Does that make sense?"

"It does, but maybe things will fall into place and then this can be your world too. Right now it's no place for..."

"I can protect myself."

"Not against these people. But whether or not you follow my advice is up to you, but at the very least be careful."

"That much I can promise. Thanks, Magnus. You're super awesome. I've gotta get home before my brother gets there. But can I... See you around sometime? I just want to understand and know more. I won't do anything."

"I suppose if our paths cross then... Yes, feel free to say hello. Goodbye, Isabelle."

For a minute he watched her climb the fire escape and crawl through the fourth story window. This time, he hoped for the chance to see her again. Their talk had done little to sate his curiousity and, truthfully, a part of him had doubts about her confidence for her safety. That attack had not been the first; he knew this without her having to say so.

_3._

"Isabelle!"

_I won't do anything._

She probably hadn't meant to lie, she was a child and curiousity was one of the strongest forces of nature, but it didn't really sooth his frustration at the sight before him.

"Hey, Magnus!" She greeted cheerily, her hands bloody and poking at a corpse in a way that would have made a weak stomach turn.

"What are you doing here?"

"Heard the commotion from inside. Don't think anyone else did though. Or they don't want to be arrested." Her brows knit together thoughtfully as she pointed at the dingy corner store they were hidden behind with a bloody index finger.

"You shouldn't be here, you need to leave," he told her sternly in his best High Warlock voice.

She didn't look up from the corpse, "I know, I know, I just... I'm thinking werewolf on werewolf?"

"A clan dispute, and not your business." With a wave of blue magic, the corpse disappeared from in front of her.

"Hey!"

"You said you wouldn't do anything. This, _this_ , is doing something. Best case scenario you get brought into custody by the police, worst case scenario... This guy's pack catches you and tears you apart for touching their property."

She stood then, her face morphed into shame, "I'm sorry, Magnus. I'd just never seen one in real life before and..."

"I told you to reel in your interest on Downworlders, Isabelle."

"No, I've seen werewolves, I meant a corpse. Did I tell you I want to study forensic pathology when I go to university? It's so _fascinating_."

Of course, this strange young girl would want a career in dissecting dead bodies.

"Your interest is understandable, but keep it for bodies you're allowed to look at, alright?"

"Okay," She acquiesced, "What did you do with it anyway?"

"I was called in by a friend to be clean up crew today. Can't let mundanes get their hands on that or they'll start spreading all sorts of stories."

"Wouldn't the werewolves clean up after themselves? Seems a bit careless to just leave him here."

"It was. Likely an unofficial dispute of some sort, it's not really my business to know."

She invited him over for coffee. After debating over the propriety of the request he accepted. He cleared the blood from her hands, and they walked to her apartment. The body had been moved to a grave and he had no other tasks, he figured answering a few more of her eager questions wouldn't hurt. It would also give him the opportunity to see a bit more of her life, gather more information she wasn't willing to share.

Magnus wasn't much of a climber, but he followed her up the fire escape begrudgingly. She must have known he'd seen her do this the other day as she provided little instruction and simply expected him to follow her.

"Home sweet home." There was a forced joy to her words.

She pushed up the unlocked window and slipped through the frame. Magnus followed after, though much taller than her he managed to fit through without too much difficulty.

The apartment was bare.

There was a rickety looking coffee table and a few cushions around it that he assumed they used to sit on. In a corner was a large stack of books, some with library stickers on the side and other's were schoolbooks; Isabelle seemed to be quite the scholar. That was it. The only other things to look at were the off-white walls, yellowed in certain areas and nearly brown in others from past cigarette smoke.

"We have instant, is that alright?" She asked, stepping through a doorway to what must be the kitchen.

"Yes, that's fine." It wasn't his favourite, but offering to summon some seemed rude. He followed her to the kitchen, seeing her turn on some sort of generator to start up a boiler.

"We don't have electricity here, so we have this thing. I charge it up at school and we can make it last a day or two for the little things."

"That's... nice."

It had been a long time since he'd known poverty or any form of financial struggle, though it seemed at least that Isabelle and her brother were doing alright for themselves. He'd avoided asking about parents as it was obvious there were none to speak of.

Once the water had finished boiling she poured it into two styrofoam cups, using creamer cups and sugar packets she had likely stolen from restaurants to flavour them to their liking. She handed one to Magnus and made her way back to the living room and sat down on one of the cushions in front of the coffee table.

Magnus gently sat across from her and sipped his coffee in silence. He knew she would fill in the empty air shortly.

"Has it always been this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have Downworlders always been so... angry? Feels like it's always threats and violence, except for you, but... You know what I mean. It's like everyone's on edge, ready for a fight of some sort."

"It's because they're frightened. They're the ones being threatened right now. I've lived long enough to know that this isn't new, but for a lot of them, it is. Since the Accords came to be things were pretty alright for a century or so, and Downworlders got used to it, most have grown up in a time of awkward peace with the Shadowhunters. Now... It's the worst I've ever seen it. Fear drives people to anger, and that's what you've been seeing."

"What are they scared of?"

"Shadowhunters," he said bluntly, spotting the grimace she was quick to hide.

"They have Angel blood right? And think they're super awesome because of it?"

"A very accurate summary"

"What's changed? Why are people scared now?"

"The Accords have been broken. The Shadowhunters have a new man in charge and he wants us all dead. Enough of them believe in his ideology to outnumber those who don't. Or at least he frightens them into obedience. Either way, we're being hunted now. The worst part is that he tries to justify it, says that we're the ones at fault. I've had to bury too many innocent Downworlders killed for crimes that didn’t happen in the first place."

"That's _horrible_." Her eyes were wide with horror, her hands shaking around her cup of coffee.

"It's... It's our new way of life. We're learning to survive. Right now he's at a stalemate, he needs something and he can't find it, so he's staying mostly quiet."

"What's his name?"

"Valentine." The word was sour on his tongue.

"Is he... Does it have something to do with the... Circle? I think it was called."

He watched her cautiously, reminded once more how little he knew of her, and nodded once, "Yes, he's their leader."

"I see," she mumbled.

"How do you know about the Circle?" He asked and caught her eyes glance to her left, a subconscious action as she tried to come up with a lie.

"I've heard things, that's all."

He wouldn't press her; she was twelve, it was not his place to push for secrets that may not be her's to begin with.

They sipped quietly at their coffee for some time, both of them lost in thought. Isabelle soon broke the silence to change the topic less than smoothly yet still successfully.

The air shifted into something more fun and comfortable, and they sat for a while even once their coffee was done. It began to get dark and with a bit of magic he brought electricity to the lightbulb above them to keep the room illuminated. She mentioned supper and the arrival of her brother, but time passed so quickly and they were startled by the sound of the window opening near them.

"Alec!" She greeted her brother cheerfully.

A boy, hardly older than Isabelle, climbed through the frame and closed it behind himself. He wore ratty jeans and an old sweater, similar to those Isabelle often wore and were likely some of his hand-me-downs, and he also had a backpack over his shoulder but his didn't seem to hold any books. The two siblings shared the same silky black hair, but Alec's eyes were bright blue and cold whereas Isabelle's were a warm onyx.

"Who's this?" Was the greeting he returned, eyes trained on Magnus.

"This is my friend Magnus. I invited him over for coffee."

"The warlock?" He questioned with a quick glance up to the magic powered light. She nodded happily. "Make a habit of hanging around with underaged girls?" This he directed to Magnus.

The boy was on edge, but judging by Isabelle's nonchalance it was likely his normal state of being. He wasn't very pleasant.

"Alec, don't be gross." She admonished before Magnus could defend himself, "Magnus, this is my charming brother, Alec."

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet the infamous big brother."

"Sure," he grumbled and rolled his eyes. He threw down his bag, "Are you staying?"

"You can stay for dinner if you want." Isabelle lay out the invitation for him, but he shook his head.

"As much as I would love to continue our chat, I do have some work to get done at home. Maybe next time." Magnus stood from the cushion, body aching from having sat in the same position for so long. Spending time with a twelve-year-old sure had a way of making him feel really old all of a sudden.

"Oh, okay. Well thank you for coming over, this was fun." Isabelle opened the window for him and saw him out, waving goodbye with a bright smile on her lips. Once he was out of her sight she closed the window then turned to her brother with a disappointed pout, "Couldn't you have been nicer? He's been really nice to me."

"You shouldn't be bringing strangers here Isabelle. Especially not a Downworlder. You have no idea how many would kill to get their hands on us."

"I have an idea," she mumbled, "he doesn't seem... It's not their fault, they're just... They're scared, Alec."

"I care more about your life than their fear, Izzy. He's a High Warlock, his priorities are obvious. Don't let him take advantage of your kindness."

"I won't, he doesn't know anything. I'll keep it that way - promise. How was work?"

Alec grabbed his bag and placed it on the coffee table, unzipping it and taking out some basic non-perishables, "It was fine. I got us some more food, should be good for a few days until my next paycheck."

After dinner, her brother went to sleep before his night shift, and she moved onto her homework, her mind filled with Magnus Bane's words.


	2. The Invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely comments on the first chapter! I'm glad people are looking forward to this story.
> 
> Also super stoked about the very first hate comments I've ever gotten. Suppose I've never written anything "controversial" before, but now I feel like a proper author.
> 
> Here's to chapter 2 :)

**_1._ **

_Two months later..._

Isabelle saw the broken window from down the road.

Her brother would tell her to leave it and run, as she had done many times in the past. And she would have, had she not had company.

"What is that?" Magnus had spotted it too.

"It's fine, we should go." She grabbed his arm to stop him.

He looked at her curiously, "Your window is broken, aren't you a bit worried?"

"Um, not... really." It fell flat and he kept walking, her slack grip releasing his arm. She followed after him, her short legs not quite matching his longer stride. He didn't wait for her, eyes drawn to the vandalism.

He didn't bother with the fire escape in his haste, using a burst of magic to float up to the railing and hopping over it. He made his way over to the broken window with quiet steps, peering inside to see what could be the disturbance.

The familiar smell hit him first.

His hands sparked blue as his magic flared. A demon. It was obvious, yet somehow not at all. It seemed so purposeful; why would it attack this particular apartment?

It wasn't in the living room. He slowly stepped through the frame with his sparkling hand out in front of him. He could hear Isabelle climbing the fire escape ladder behind him. When nothing immediately attacked him he started wandering through the small apartment.

The kitchen and washroom were clear, but he hardly needed to look - his eyes landed on a door that seemed to have been smashed through, the center missing and pieces of wood were scattered on the floor near it.

It had certainly made itself at home.

Magnus started up a spell in his hand as he cautiously made his way to the door. Killing demons wasn't really his thing, but when he thought of the child he could hear not far behind him it spurred him to press on.

He rounded the corner and stepped through the door, his hand sparking with blue electricity. His hand was out to throw the ball of magic and it flew out of his hand a few inches, but he managed to call it back once his eyes landed on the room's only inhabitant and his near target.

"Alec?!"

The boy turned from the bag he was packing and threw him a look of disinterest before turning away from him.

"I almost killed you!"

"But you didn't." Alec zipped up the bag and stood, throwing it over his shoulder, "What are you doing here?"

"Fighting a demon, or so I thought. Haven't seen one around, have you?" Magnus placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the room. It seemed the two siblings shared it, he could see two bundles that seemed to be some form of bedding, and clothes strewn about that could belong to either of them. Alec seemed to have gathered the essentials and was making his way out for good.

Then his eyes fell upon a pile of goop by the far wall he knew to be ichor and a slight dent in the wall itself he would say was from a knife or blade of some sort.

"It's gone," Alec stated simply.

"And how did that happen?" Magnus asked, moving aside as Alec stepped by him without looking his way.

"I killed it."

These children would give him greys at this rate.

Once down the hall, Alec spotted Isabelle, standing in the living room with her hands wringing nervously, "Izzy! What are you - I told you not to come home when... You know better!"

"I know, Alec, we were just..."

"I'm the one who's here to protect you, not this- this..."

"I'd really like to see where this sentence goes." Magnus drawled, leaning against the wall behind Alec.

Alec turned to him, glaring, "That's not-" He seemed to decide against dealing with him and turned once more to his sister, "He's a stranger, Isabelle. For all we know he did this! We can't trust-"

She cut him off, tears at the corner of her eyes, "But I do- I do trust him. I want to be able to trust people, I don't want to hide for the rest of my life. This isn't living!"

Alec let out a long sigh, "We're not discussing this here. It was one of those crawling-tracker things-" Magnus considered that a pretty good description of a ravener demon, "I'm sure there are other's around and we don't want to be here when they come. Here," He handed her the one bag, "Get going to our usual spot. I'll grab some more stuff."

"Yes, big brother."

**_2._ **

There were many reasons he could give to explain his madness, but really, there was only one. These children were being hunted by demons, he couldn't leave them in the mundane world to fend for themselves. Even if somehow Alec had managed to kill one without Magnus having any idea how he could have done so. Ravener demons were not known for being a difficult kill, but they were still demons and trackers at that.

"Absolutely not."

"I think it's a good idea."

"I'm sure you do. I don't."

"Now listen, Alexander, how about we all go back to my place where it's safe for everyone, and we can discuss this a little more?" Magnus intervened before they could start arguing again.

Alec looked like he was going to deny his request, but Isabelle spoke up first, "That sounds wonderful! Let's do that, okay big brother?"

He huffed, "Fine."

Magnus guided the siblings to his loft, and it was only as he opened the door did he begin to have doubts. He didn't bring people to his loft; his parties were no longer held at home with so many threats around, and meetings with his clients were at various locations. He liked having a place to sleep without fearing for his safety. This was a total breach of his basic protocol- were these two children worth it?

"Here we are. Please feel free to make yourselves at home."

Alec stayed near him, a cautious never-wavering gaze fixed on him, but Isabelle followed his suggestion. She walked slowly around his loft and inspected everything she could get her hands on; he could spot a few dust clouds lifting around his older items when she touched them.

"Please join me for some tea, Alexander." He moved to his island and let Alec take the side opposite him, leaving him able to keep an eye on Magnus and Isabelle at the same time. With a snap three cups of tea appeared on his island, he took one and held it out for Isabelle, "For you, darling."

She took it with a smile, "Thanks, Magnus!"

His home was very open concept, the island was the centerpiece of his kitchen with full view of his living space linked to it. There were several couches and his T.V near the far wall, it was there that Isabelle chose to wander and look around, giving them as much space as possible for privacy without getting out of her brother's sight.

A second snap and the air around him and Alec grew silent save for their own breathing. Alec could see the little shimmer in the air around them, and his eyes squinted as he tried to understand it.

"A bit of soundproofing. I'm sure Isabelle won't mind."

"Whatever."

"You can sit, you know. That _is_ the intended purpose of these stools." Magnus gave action to his own words, pulling one of the island stools to him and taking a seat, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible for Alec's sake.

For someone so young he was so... tense.

Alec slowly took his own seat, his eyes fixed over his shoulder to keep a steady gaze on his sister.

"This isn't even a discussion. We're not staying here."

"My invitation is nothing permanent, you could leave at any time. I simply think that right now it would be what's best for you and Isabelle."

"You don't know what's best for us."

Magnus was reminded of a young Raphael Santiago, pushing against him at every turn because he couldn't be deigned to agree with him on something. He had grown to love him like family, surely he and Alec could come to some form of compromise at the very least.

"I'm not trying to upset you, Alec."

"I'm not upset."

Magnus sighed, "Just listen for a moment, okay? I have more than enough room for both of you here, and the extensive wards in place will guarantee your safety. Isabelle might enjoy a bit of stability, even if it's only for a little while. You can take some time to get back on your feet, it might do you well."

"And what would keep her safe from you?"

"Why are you under the impression I'm a threat to either of you? And to be honest I'm far too powerful to waste my time trying to deceive my enemies. I like the direct approach."

"You haven't asked about anything. Which means you must know _something_." Alec crossed his arms and set them on the counter, leaning towards Magnus, "So what is it that you know, Magnus Bane?"

"What am I meant to be knowing?" Magnus knew Alec was alluding to their mysterious identities, but it was still just that - a mystery.

"What do you know about me and Izzy?"

Magnus laughed, "Trust me, I wish I knew! I don't even know your last name at this point."

"And you're inviting us to live with you."

"I've had better ideas." Magnus admitted and he would swear there was a hint of a smile on Alec's lips, "I know it might be hard to believe, but trust me when I say that I've lived in times where it seemed like the world was against me... Which truthfully wasn't a wrong assumption... But you can't face the world alone."

"We have each other."

"Isabelle depends on you, but who do you depend on? You're still a child, Alexander. And I mean that in the kindest way; you shouldn't be in a position where you need to care for others over yourself. Not that you haven't done well so far."

"We don't have a choice." Alec sighed softly, steely gaze softening and moving down to his untouched cup of tea, "You'll be in danger if we stay here."

"From what?" Danger was a familiar concept and one he had stopped shying away from many centuries ago.

He was quiet for some time, but eventually he met Magnus' eyes and said, "Everyone. Everything."

Magnus pondered his words. He knew to some extent the threats constantly hanging over their heads and apparently being hunted by demons and being worried about traitorous warlock's was only the beginning.

"You don't have to worry about my safety, Alexander. I'm not High Warlock for nothing. As for you and Isabelle, well, with all of my wards this is the safest place in New York."

Alec's eyes moved back to the spot over his shoulder, and Magnus glanced back to look at Isabelle. She was sitting on his most cushiony loveseat with a book and binder in her lap and her backpack by her side. She was at peace.

"I don't understand why you're inviting us to live with you." Alec said suddenly, going back to looking at Magnus, "You said it yourself, you hardly know us. You _know_ we attract trouble. Why get involved?"

Magnus respectfully took a moment to think the question through, wanting to give the most truthful answer he could. In the end, he gave him the same explanation he'd used to justify the decision to himself.

"What kind of person would I be if I left two children on the streets to fend off demons?"

"You have better morals than the Shadowhunters then."

"You said it, not me."

This garnered him another almost-smile from the young boy.

Alec sighed and returned to their previous topic, "I still don't know."

"How about this. You two stay the night, take some time to rest, and we can talk more tomorrow."

"Isabelle has school tomorrow. And I work tonight."

"You don't go to school?" He bit back asking about the fact he was doing a night shift. The why was obvious and telling him that money was not something he would need to think about when sharing his home didn't seem like a good idea at the time. Alec wouldn't tolerate it, he'd start pulling away again and Magnus was sure he was finally getting through to him.

"No. We need an income, and I take care of it. Isabelle's smart; she actually has a chance of doing something with her education. I worry about the rest."

"That's a lot of weight on your shoulders."

"I deal with it."

"Is her school close?"

"It's actually..." Alec hesitated on his words, but begrudgingly admitted, "It's more convenient from here. Only a couple stops off the subway."

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about. When will you be back from your shift?"

"I'm done at four so... around four-thirty."

Magnus' hand sparkled blue for a second and then between his thumb and forefinger appeared a silver key, "Here. I'll fix the wards so you'll be able to come in without a problem. Shall I show you where you'll be staying?"

Alec took the key and sighed in resignation. It was a sound Magnus was slowly getting used to.

**_3._ **

Living together came with an awkward learning curve. The intricacies of giving space and sharing room was something Magnus hadn't done in a very long time, and never with children. Never two at once and never so young - nothing he would consider 'living together' anyways, more of an unfortunate temporary co-habitation.

For three days he felt like he was a stranger in his own home; it wasn't anyone's fault and he wasn't unhappy by any means. It was merely unsettling living in new conditions.

Alec worked a lot, he learned after just one day. How and where he could get a job at his age was a mystery. Though he seemed to have worked his schedule around Isabelle's, home when she was awake to keep an eye on her and give her company, and more subtely keeping a constant gentle pressure on her in regards to her schooling.

Not that she seemed to need much prompting with a textbook or homework within arms reach at all times. It was a shock the first morning after the two kids were gone to find a math book on his coffee table; Magnus Bane had a habit of collecting things people would consider strange, but this was way beyond his sense of normalcy.

Alec approached him three nights later after Isabelle had gone to sleep. They hadn't discussed more the concept of living together; Magnus was giving them time to enjoy living in relative safety for what was likely the first time in a while. He had the room and the patience, it didn't change anything if the two simply stayed without ever acknowledging it.

"I wanted to thank you for letting me and Izzy stay here these last few days. I know it's not easy having two kids around all of a sudden."

"You're most welcome, Alexander. And you're still welcome to stay as long as you need. This is different for me, it's true, but that doesn't make it a bad thing."

"I spoke with Izzy and she's... she's really happy here. This type of lifestyle is new to her. For us. It's... I think- I mean... If you'll have us I think we'd like to stay. For a little while, anyway, until we can figure something out."

Seeing Alec come and go for different work shifts, keeping a constant eye on his sister's wellbeing, and generally always having his head high and shoulders tense had given him the air of someone much older than fourteen, many would likely be fooled, but Magnus could see his true age through the stuttering of his words.

"Of course, however long you like. I'm glad to hear she's enjoying her stay. And I want to make sure you know that I won't be asking you for any money, not for food or rent or anything like that, so if... Well, you can make of that what you will. If you want to go back to school, or whatever else you might like to do, I can help. But I suppose those are thoughts for later. I'm going to bed, I have an early meeting tomorrow unless you had anything else to say?"

Magnus didn't move, clearly leaving room for Alec to add anything he'd need to without feeling rushed, but he shook his head. His words were said.

"No, that's all. Goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, please leave a comment with your thoughts :)
> 
> Also wanted to let you know - this story will mix things from the books and the tv show as I'm a fan of both and found things to add to the story from both perspectives. 
> 
> Cheers!


	3. Living With Magnus Bane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter three! Thank you for the lovely comments and kuddos :) Sorry I'm a day late to upload.
> 
> The Spider-Man game came out so. Yup. That's been my life lately.

**1.** _One Month Later..._

Alec quit his night job. He'd been stacking crates in an old warehouse and being paid under the table and he'd always hated it.

He also didn't return to school. Rather, he kept his job as a busboy at some two-star restaurant that also paid him under the table, where he worked during the day while Isabelle was at school and Magnus was doing his own High Warlock duties.

With no rent and Magnus keeping the cupboards and fridge stocked at all times, he gave most of his income to Isabelle for some clothes that she would actually enjoy wearing and some basic necessities she needed.

He had his own bedroom, but he couldn't bring himself to try and personalize it.

Isabelle's room was growing into her own space; cluttered with clothes she had chosen, schoolwork, and a lot of books she had stolen from Magnus' bookshelves. There were a few he had been forced to use magic to keep pinned to the bookshelf and away from her curious and all-consuming eyes.

Magnus noticed that Alec would disappear at odd times that were unrelated to work and he never came back with any form of shopping done, but had no guesses what for and felt too weird about trying to find out dishonestly.

"Two... kids? You're housing two kids?" Catarina couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the concept. Magnus couldn't blame her.

"For the time being. It's probably best to have brunch at yours tomorrow."

"That's fine, but... You do remember Raphael, right? You're _still_ complaining about it."

"It's different," _Sort of_. "There's a lot I still don't know about them and-"

"And this is fun for you."

She wasn't wrong.

"I suppose. Compared to everything else going on this is a breath of fresh air. Something to do that isn't wondering which friend I'll have to bury this week."

Sensing his mood turning bitter at a rapid rate she changed the course of their conversation, "Suppose that means I'm responsible for food tomorrow."

"We can do pizza," Magnus suggested unhelpfully.

She let a frustrated huff, "You've been in New York too long. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't be late!"

"Never."

He hung up the phone and left his bedroom to wander back to the living room where he found his two houseguests sitting in front of the television. Alec was watching something he probably couldn't name and Isabelle was reading Magnus' English translation of a long-dead narcissistic warlock's autobiography.

Magnus took a seat near them and settled into a comfortable evening.

**2.** _Two Months Later..._

Alec still side-eyed him every once in a while as if he couldn't quite make up his mind if Magnus was to be trusted, or why Magnus would show them such kindness in the first place. Magnus didn't take the looks personally.

They had an awkward meeting with Catarina one day which was equally awkward from both sides.

Cat called him later to ask about them; where had they come from, how did they end up learning maturity and responsibility far before their time? He had no answers for her, not knowing much more than what he'd told her within the first few days of their new arrangement.

"I saw the last name ' _Rosales_ ' on one of Isabelle's binders, but that's as far as I've gotten with them."

"That's not much."

"I figure if they were going to try and kill me or betray me they would have done it by now."

Isabelle asked about his long-time friend with as many questions, a newfound fascination for warlock marks and their healing magic.

"No, I won't ask her to take you to the morgue. She prefers working with the living and I'm certain she'd highly question my decision to share my home with you if I even suggested it."

"Isn't she already questioning it?"

"You're not wrong."

Alec had remained quiet.

**3.** _Three Months Later..._

Magnus stayed out for the night for the first time in three months. There was a party going on, and he was finally comfortable enough to leave the two children at home alone while he attended it. With some extra protective charms on his favourite, and most dangerous, possessions. Just in case.

He was home by four in the morning and found them sharing Isabelle's bed and sleeping soundly.

They had shared the bed for a few days when first moving in, a fear of being separate in such unfamiliar territory, but had mostly kept apart since then.

He wondered if something had frightened them, though he found nothing out of place that could have caused any sort of disturbance. He had left them a phone, and they would surely have called him if it had been something important.

In the end, he shrugged and meandered to his own room for sleep, deciding against putting too much thought into it at that particular time of day.

Isabelle never told him that she had called over her brother after restlessly trying to sleep for an hour. That her inability to sleep had stemmed from knowing it was just her and her brother for the first time in months. It was a vulnerability they had lived with for so long and now without it, they were growing accustomed to the sense of security Magnus could bring them.

Alec didn't like the thought of growing used to anything revolving Magnus Bane, but he wouldn't deny that the knowledge of his sister's safety had eased his biggest burden.

For now... It was fine.

**4.** _Four Months Later..._

"You didn't have to, Magnus-" She was about to start a string of protests, but he cut her off.

"Do you like it?"

"It's... It's really pretty, thank you, Magnus." She brought the red sundress to her chest, inspecting it against her own body.

"You're welcome. Being the best-dressed warlock comes with excellent fashion taste and an eye for size. Should fit without a hitch."

Her smile dropped slightly and she sighed, "I'm not sure Alec will be okay with..." She left the rest unsaid, but Magnus was undeterred.

"Let me take care of Alexander. I expect to fill your wardrobe with the most fabulous items in no time, and he'll have to accept it. We should go shopping together sometime, I think you'll like it."

"Maybe," She agreed, her thoughts torn between being gentle with her brother and wanting to have a fun outing with Magnus.

Alec prided himself on being able to care for all of her needs, clothing included, and she didn't want to seem ungrateful by accepting this gift from Magnus. There was no ill intention to it by Magnus, but Alec likely wouldn't see it that way.

"I know how your brother is, Isabelle, you don't have to worry. I like giving gifts and if I had any idea what he liked in terms of material things I'd be getting him things too. For now, that awful cereal will have to do."

Isabelle laughed at their shared hatred of Alec's favourite cereal, one that Magnus kept consistently stocked as it was one of the few things he seemed to enjoy to even the smallest degrees. She accepted his reassurance and turned to the mirror Magnus had put in her room at some point without her asking.

"Thank you, Magnus. I wish I could give you something in return." He could see her face in the mirror's reflection and saw her brows furrow and her lips draw tight in a way Magnus recognized to be her thinking face.

"That's not the purpose of a gift."

"I know, it's just... It kind of feels like all we do it take from you, you know? I'd like to be able to give back somehow."

"You're children, Isabelle. It's not your responsibility to give back to the adults taking care of you, whether it be your parents or a guardian. Besides, it seems I have the best two kids in town since apparently most kids don't clean up after themselves or do the dishes."

She laughed and looked down at her feet with a shy blush, "I suppose that's true."

With the dress still in her hands, she turned back to face him, "I think I'll try it on right now to see how it looks." She was eager to wear something that was so beautiful and new.

"Come show me how it looks."

She nodded her agreement and he left her room, closing the door softly behind him.

When she stepped out in her new dress Magnus beamed with pride. Alec was sitting at the kitchen island and it seemed Magnus had already spoken to him about his gift as he didn't comment on it.

"You look beautiful, as always." Alec kissed her temple and smiled his special ' _Izzy_ ' smile, making her blush in contentment.

She would wear it to school tomorrow, she thought. She would blend amongst the mundanes and pretend she was one of them, a rare and difficult task she didn't often care to attempt.

In this home with her brother and friend and with the noises of New York filtering through the open window she felt the way she truly was; twelve years old with a place to call home.

**5.** _Five Months Later..._

Magnus could sometimes spot bits of ichor on Alec's clothes, but one day he showed up entirely covered in it. All Magnus could imagine was the boy being pinned down by a demon, teeth bared and claws out, and somehow it had been killed on top of him and he'd been doused in the leftovers.

To put it simply, he fretted when he walked through the door. Often he'd called his friend Catarina a mother hen for her constant eye over the wounded, but he understood her need as he poured magic over Alec's body in an attempt to find any wounds.

As a testament to their time spent together, Alec tolerated it for a few seconds before walking away from him, "I'm fine, Magnus." He stepped by Isabelle who had also rushed to the door when she'd caught sight of him, and he stopped to give her a quick peck on the forehead, "I'm going to shower."

"Okay," she agreed without protest.

Magnus was not so easily soothed, "Are you certain, Alec?" The use of his nickname drew Alec to a stop, so used to hearing his full name from him, "I'm no expert in healing, but if you have any injuries please tell me."

"I'm okay, honestly. I, um, appreciate the concern though."

Magnus accepted it, though he was only truly convinced once he saw Alec after his shower; in a t-shirt and jeans with no visible wounds or pained grimaces to indicate hidden ones.

Alec stared at him curiously during the rest of the evening as if daring him to ask.

He didn't.

**6.** _Six Months Later..._

"Magnus? Can you sign this for me, please? I forgot to ask Alec last night." Isabelle pressed a test down on the counter next to his morning cup of coffee.

"What's this?" He picked it up, a sense of pride he didn't understand surfacing as he saw the large ' _A+_ ' on the top right corner of the page.

"My science test. The teacher wanted them signed and normally Alec signs for me, but..." It was only after putting it down did she remember her old habit of forging a signature when she'd forgotten to have it signed - how easily habits get forgotten - but now it was too late to draw back and she didn't actually care who signed it so long as it was done.

"Oh, I see. What does he normally sign?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does he use his own name, or do you have a made-up guardian you use to sign your paperwork?" It wasn't accusing, but she flushed in shame. She had gotten a lot of questions about her parental figures by teachers and students alike and she'd grown to dread speaking about it to anyone but her brother.

"Um, I... Yeah, I guess. Maria and Eduardo Rosales are the names we use if someone asks. He usually puts a weird scribble people think is my dad's signature."

"I see. Where did ' _Rosales_ ' come from?" Magnus summoned a pen and so-called _scribbled_ down the name, ' _Maria Rosales_ '. The teachers were likely used to seeing Eduardo Rosales and it seemed the safest call.

"It was a, uh... Google search." She mumbled, not even bothering to deny it. If he asked for the truth she wasn't sure she could lie to him, too used to the gentle and consistent honesty he held as a standard in his home.

He didn't ask.

"Were your parents Spanish?" Was the question he did pose, one that was easy enough for her to answer.

"My mother was. I liked to learn it, but Alec didn't care. But he let me choose to make me happy."

"That's nice." He didn't know what else to say. He handed her the signed test, and she slipped it into her bag.

"Thank you! Have a good day, Magnus!"

Isabelle finished getting ready and headed off to school.

**7.** _Seven Months Later..._

Isabelle was infatuated with Raphael Santiago.

He looked fifteen, was handsome, Spanish, and mature. She ignored the fact he'd been fifteen for a century or so.

Magnus found it hilarious. Alec seemed ready to put a knife through his eye if he dared look at her funny.

Raphael was never warm and fuzzy, but he tolerated her questions on vampirism and Spanish heritage with the patience only an immortal could perfect. This seemed to draw her more much to his dismay. It was likely due to her only male influence having a similar personality; her brother was withdrawn but loving in the fiercest way.

Magnus saw Raphael rarely, once a decade was almost too often, but with recent events his presence was almost welcomed. It meant he was alive.

"The world is ending and you sit here playing house." Raphael admonished once Alec had finally managed to drag Isabelle away to give them some time alone.

"The world isn't ending, don't be such a drama queen." Magnus rolled his eyes, but they both knew his heart wasn't in it.

"I've come to tell you that there are some... concerns about the New York Shadowhunters. There are rumours that they might be replaced."

The Whitelaw family had been running the New York Institute for about a century now. Magnus had shared the city with them for almost as long.

They were uptight and prissy, but they followed the rules and that included the Accords. They had been reluctant, but justice oriented allies to the New York Downworlders and the idea of losing them to what would likely be a Circle family did not bode well for any of them.

"I had a meeting with them a few days ago and I saw nothing to prove this rumour might be true. They’re likely just rumours. Next time I'm at the Institute I'll keep an eye out for any signs and you'll be the first to know if I find out anything. But right now, we should focus on keeping our people calm. New York is as safe as it can be for the time being."

"I was hoping that was the case, but I didn't want to risk lying to my people." At the first sign of trouble, Camille had run off to who knew where and this left Raphael in charge. He'd been doing well; the New York Downworld was doing well as a whole compared to other large cities, and Magnus was thankful for his luck in allies.

"We're okay for now, Raphael. If nothing changes drastically, we'll likely stay in this standstill for a few more years."

"That is all we can hope for. I'll go back to my clan, give them this information. It will settle them for a while."

"Alright. It was nice seeing you, Raphael. You should come by more often, I think it would make Isabelle _very_ happy."

" _Idiota_." Raphael rolled his eyes and quickly made his way out of the loft.

The less time spent together the saner they would be.

**8.** _Eight Months Later..._

Magnus could count on one hand the number of times the three of them left his loft together. It was risky for all of them, with enemies on both ends that would be more than happy to exploit their relationship if it were known.

Yet it was nearing the holidays and New York was in relative peace, and Magnus had insisted they go out for some window shopping and hot cocoa as a treat.

They'd had a bumpy and slow start, but now he sat with them drinking from a styrofoam cup and he felt at ease. He'd slowly started to learn the intricacies of the two children, when and how to say what he needed to and gaining their trust and affection which they showed in their own special ways.

"-and we've started picking out our courses for next year, and they know I want to take everything on the science side, but the school counselor recommends I take something artsy since it'll look better for college and might help me get a scholarship. I don't really want to do choir or drama. I'm thinking maybe dance, but..." Her nose crinkled at the thought, and her brother smiled softly at her antics.

One of the things Magnus would previously have admitted to knowing very little about was the education system, but now he was sure he could describe the in's and out's like an overbearing PTA mom.

"You might enjoy taking a dance class. It's excellent exercise, and I've always found dancing to be fun."

Whatever Isabelle would have said next was cut off as Magnus' obnoxious ringtone started up. He tugged his phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller I.D.

Old habits made him want to ignore the call from Raphael simply to be childish, but new times made his heart beat a little faster with anxiety at whatever the call would entail.

He answered his phone and listened attentively to what his vampire friend was telling him. When he hung up both Alec and Isabelle were watching him with rapt attention.

"That was Raphael. There's a demon down near Fourth I need to go take care of. Can you two make your way home from here?"

_Home_.

"What about the Shadowhunters?" Isabelle asked.

"They're on the other side of town taking care of another issue." Magnus grabbed his things and put on his coat, but Alec placed a hand on his wrist to pause him.

"You shouldn't go alone. Let me come with you."

"Absolutely not," He came off a bit strong and adjusted himself, softening his tone, "I won't risk your safety on something I am perfectly capable of handling on my own."

"But I can help," Alec pressed.

Honestly, he was a bit touched by the concern, it was hard-earned when it came to Alec, but it didn't change his mind.

"No, Alec. Do you have your phone? I'll message you when I'm on my way home. I'll see you in a bit." Without leaving any room to argue he left them alone in the coffee shop.

Isabelle turned to her brother once he was gone and gave him a knowing look, "You're not going to let him go alone, are you?"

"Of course not," He huffed indignantly as if the mere thought were offensive.

"You know he's probably right." They grabbed their things and left the coffee shop. Alec just glanced at her briefly in response to her words and she added, "We probably should just go home. I'm sure he can take care of it."

"What if it's a trap or something? I can at least check it out."

"You're taking me with you. If you're going, I'm going too," She insisted, knowing exactly how his mind was processing his next moves.

"Fine." Arguing pointlessly would only waste their time. If Alec had truly thought she would be in danger he would have pressed it and she'd have acquiesced. As it was they both made their way to Fourth Street; it was the only hint Magnus had given them.

There was apparently a graveyard in the area and they focused on that. It seemed the most logical location for a demon to be spotted by a vampire. It was a rather large graveyard, but it was late and quiet and the shriek of a mantid demon was loud and clear.

Without a blade, they were hard to kill. They had thick armor and only narrow weak points around their limbs.

Alec and Isabelle hurried towards the sound. They could spot the flares of magic as Magnus unleashed several spells on the creature, but the demon's shrieks and odd clicking sounds didn't stop. Once close enough Alec had Isabelle hide somewhere so he could approach the fight cautiously without having to worry about her.

Magnus never liked fighting in graveyards. There was the obvious matter of disrespecting the dead, but mainly it felt extra morbid having to use gravestones as cover.

"Come _on_ ," He muttered in frustration, his fire spells not doing anything to pierce its armor. There wasn't much that seemed to affect this particular brand of disgusting.

It swung at him with its front leg and it hit him in the chest, tossing him flat on his back and knocking the wind out of him rather unpleasantly. Magnus groaned in annoyance and slowly moved to sit up, wondering what spell he could try to use next. He knew he had to move quickly or it would be preparing its killing strike.

Once he was sitting he spotted the creature, but now the front leg he'd used to hit Magnus with was now missing, severed from its body and laying on the grass. Not far was a glimmering seraph blade in the hands of a Shadowhunter.

Help had come, but...

Magnus had been told that children never listened, and here was proof of that.

To distract the demon Magnus threw a weak fireball at its face. It growled and drew its attention away from the blade back to its first target, thus giving an opening to sever its head.

Alec didn't disappoint.

Magnus didn't look at the rolling head, his eyes glued to Alec and the weapon in his hands. With the demon dead he drew himself up to his feet. He had no words.

"Should we, um, go home now?"

For the first time since meeting Alec, he sounded small and almost frightened. As if Magnus' judgment was important and held some form of value to him.

"I suppose so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTDubs! The whole Izzy having a crush on Raphael thing was written before it even happened in the show. For those with opinions on the pairing, it will not appear further in the story, it's just Izzy having a pre-teen crush.
> 
> See you next week for the next chapter :)


	4. The Lost Lightwood Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot how short this chapter is, so another will be out tomorrow :) Also Jace appears in two chapters, I believe. It takes a bit of buildup before he shows up, sorry folks!
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Alec put Isabelle to sleep when they got home; it wasn’t one of his regular tasks, but one he did now to reassure her everything would be okay. She was scared and he didn't blame her.

He kind of felt the same.

When he stepped into the main room he found Magnus sitting at the kitchen island with a colourful cocktail in front of him.

Alec joined him with an uncertain hint in his steps, but he masked his face to seem brave. Magnus didn't seem to notice, too busy in his own mental bubble. He sat down and gained his attention.

Magnus smiled at him, a bit hesitant but somehow still genuine and it seemed to sooth some of the tension in Alec's shoulders.

"So not a mundane then," Magnus stated the obvious, not really sure what else to say.

"No." Alec agreed, voice soft and void of his usual challenging tone.

"You're a Shadowhunter."

"No. Well, yes, but no. I don't have runes or anything... It's just... I don't know if you knew our family, but we're - I'm..." He seemed hesitant to press on, but Magnus' gentle patience pushed him to say the family name he hadn't spoken out loud in years, “We’re Lightwoods."

Magnus' reaction was instant but withdrawn almost as quickly as he gathered himself. Clearly, Magnus knew the name and not in a pleasant way. It only made Alec shy away even further.

"I... see."

"But we're not, we're not them! She, my mom, Maryse Lightwood, she left the Circle when I was just a toddler and she was pregnant with Isabelle. We've been hiding with the mundanes, but she told us the truth about what we were and... I don't know." He stilled himself, gauging Magnus' reactions as well as he could since Magnus wasn't making his thoughts very obvious.

"You're the Lightwood boy," Magnus breathed out, mind whirling with memories from over a decade ago.

He'd known that Maryse had had a child and had heard that after seeing Valentine torture a young werewolf child she had embraced her own motherly instincts and had run away with him, leaving her husband Robert with the Circle. He'd assumed she had died; that they had both died. Hiding from Valentine was no easy feat.

There was no part of him that would have ever expected or guessed that that boy would be his Alexander. He was callous and quiet and a bit angry at times, but he loved and he was kind and his moral standings were nowhere near that of any Shadowhunters he had met. Not to mention the unknown second child. He couldn't even imagine Isabelle sharing the same blood as Robert Lightwood.

"I guess so."

"I'd heard Maryse had run, but I was certain you wouldn't have survived," Magnus told him honestly, a bit breathless at this revelation.

"We moved around a lot. We were in Argentina first, she told us it was familiar to her and a safe place for a while, and then we kept moving north, living on different islands in the Caribbean before staying in Puerto Rico for a while. That's where she..."

Magnus stayed silent and gave him time to recoup before he managed to press on.

"She always told us the truth. We knew what we were and we knew why we kept moving. We were wanted; everything and everybody wanted us dead. Demons could smell our angel blood and if they got our scents they would come for us, and everyone else... Anyone could use us to their advantage. We didn't get out of Puerto Rico fast enough.

I remember that... I had just turned nine. Isabelle was at school, she was doing some extra work after hours to prepare to skip a grade the following year. I would normally stay with her, but that day I wanted to stop at home. Some sort of instinct, I guess. When I got there she... Mom was dead. A couple demons had torn her apart and... there was so much blood."

Alec paused for a breath, eyes glazed as he stared into the distance remembering things he'd long pushed behind him, "They were gone by the time I got home. I packed two bags and I met Izzy at school. Then we left like she had taught us to do."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's all I've ever known, right? All I want to do is keep us alive and make sure Izzy is happy. It's what our mother would have wanted."

"How did you end up with a seraph blade and going about fighting demons?"

"I've had it for a couple of years now. Some Shadowhunters were in a fight and they left it behind and I kept it. And I only fight if I have no choice. Most Shadowhunters seem to rely on runes because they've never fought without them, but I've learned to do the best I can with what I have. It's been enough so far."

"Did you ever think about going back to them? The Institute would keep you safe."

"But they'd ship us off to our father and we'd be back where we started. Our mom died to keep us out of their hands, and I plan to keep it that way."

"You're right, probably best they don't know you're alive." Magnus agreed. The Circle would destroy them; if Valentine didn't kill them, he would kill their souls, and Magnus wouldn't risk that for anything in the world.

"We're really thankful for all you've given us these last few months, and-"

"Why are you trying to make this sound like a goodbye?"

"It's what's best, isn't it?" Alec said, voice soft with acceptance.

"Best for who? Not you or Isabelle, certainly. And not for me either. Neither of you is leaving, not unless you genuinely want to."

"But we're Shadowhunters! You _hate_ Shadowhunters." Alec protested, but it was only half-hearted as he also seemed relieved by Magnus' reassurance.

"No, I don't. I hate people that are cruel and hateful and think the world should bow at their feet. Sure that describes some Shadowhunters, but not you. You're none of those things."

"How can you be so sure? It's in our blood, it's what we are."

"And what do you believe is in my blood? I promise it isn't sunshine and rainbows." Magnus didn't want to waste time opposing everything Alec would say with some form of denial, rather he hoped he could go a little more roundabout so that Alec could see the truth for himself. And eventually, Alec would know that all of his beliefs were only truly his own and he would never have to doubt them.

"That's not... That's different."

"Is it?"

"Maybe not," Alec admitted sheepishly.

"I've chosen to trust you, Alexander. You and Isabelle. Could it be a foolish choice? Yes. But at least it was mine."

"I won't let you regret it, I promise," he said fiercely, putting all of him into his words as only an honest person could.

"I know." Magnus placed his hand on top of Alec's in a show of comfort he would never have tried before knowing it wouldn't have been taken well.

"Thank you," Alec left his hand in place, accepting the touch with a gentle smile, "I hate to ask, but... Do you know anything about my parents? From before, I mean. Did you ever meet them?"

That was not a path of conversation he would normally embark upon, but he knew Alec could handle it and he deserved to know.

He told Alec all he could about Maryse and Robert Lightwood; he had only known them as Circle members and had only ever fought against them, but he respected Maryse's courageous move of taking her children and running and he told him so.

The night grew dark and they parted to get some sleep after the day's exhausting events. He saw Alec slip into Isabelle's room, likely she hadn't fallen asleep and was waiting to know that everything was alright.

Magnus didn't like that either of them had been so worried that he was going to kick them out of his home; he didn't like that it had ever crossed as an option to them. He wasn't going to abandon them, not before and not now that he knew what the constant danger around them actually meant.

Before returning to his room he stopped in his personal library, books he kept out of the living space and away from prying eyes. He took two books he had somehow come into possession sometime a century or two ago and stepped into Alec's room with them.

He placed both of them on Alec's nightstand and left them there as a gift. If he was interested in knowing about Shadowhunters they would help. The Shadowhunter's Codex was outdated, but the basics were there, and the Grey Book was never updated or changed from what he knew.

Alec would make the most of them, he was sure.


	5. The First Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuuum... sorry :/ I didn't post yesterday as I said I would because I suck. Although it's nice to know people are looking forward to the new chapters! I'm really happy people are enjoying it so far :) Jace's arrival is next chapter!

**_1._ **

Alec often found himself near Shadowhunters and their fights without ever meaning to. He would swear that to Isabelle, but she seemed to believe a part of him was drawn to it. They didn't discuss it much; Alec didn't like being reminded that he was _like_ them, even in the smallest ways. Simple walks to the store or to random odd jobs he would take would lead him to sounds of blades and demons and he couldn't ignore it.

Isabelle was right even if he would deny it to himself.

Warrior blood ran in his veins and he often felt like energy was burning through him trying to find an escape. He'd been in enough fistfights with stupid and loud mundanes that Magnus had stopped speaking his frustrations at having to fix up his knuckles constantly and only let it show in his tense shoulders.

He was walking home one night when he spotted one of them across the street, her eyes glancing around as if searching for something. She was glamoured to mundanes, but Alec could clearly see the runes along her arms and the one slipping past her t-shirt to curl around her neck.

Out of insatiable curiousity, he followed her.

To her, he was simply a mundane and she took no note of him trailing after her. He followed her to some warehouse that looked like the typical demon haunt. His finger brushed over the blade he hid in his coat; he was never defenseless.

She charged right in through the front door, and Alec went around back and found a backdoor. The building was one large block, boxes and containers hopefully made up the most of it, and the door would leave him in the same room as the Shadowhunter. There would be a lot of space between them, but if the room was empty he'd be easily spotted.

He pressed his ear to the door and heard nothing. Deeming the coast clear he pulled it open, years of closure had left the lock easily breakable and found that there was indeed still many empty containers in the room that separated him from the front of the room.

Quietly he slipped inside and wandered through the rows, ears straining to hear her.

She wasn't alone and he could hear a male voice responding to her's.

"-took a wrong step and the next thing I know her head's clean off."

"Shadowhunter's are not meant to take wrong steps. It's a shame that that will now be her legacy. Come, take the body and I'll grab the head."

Alec didn't need any more from either of them to know he hated them already. They were quiet as they gathered the pieces of their dead teammate, and he heard their even steps as they left the building.

Once the door clicked shut he stepped into the front of the building and was easily able to spot the leftovers of the battle. Ichor and blood stained the cement floor in equal parts and there were some overturned boxes and a whole shelving was destroyed with its contents scattered.

The blood was trailing out to the front door where they had taken the body. Alec was glad he hadn't seen that. Aside from moments of intense adrenaline, his stomach was not as strong as his sister's.

Out of habit, he took a look around to see what he could find. In the aftermath of battle he had found not only his seraph blade, but also several throwing knives and daggers, and even a whip once. Not that he knew how to use any of them except the seraph blade, and that had been awkwardly self-taught.

In the end, he would call it luck that he spotted the little silver stick under an old desk in the corner. It was no surprise that the two Shadowhunters hadn't spotted it.

He moved closer to the desk and bent down, hand slowly reaching out for it. He stopped short, but rolled his eyes at his own hesitation and took it confidently.

It glowed in his hand as if recognizing his blood.

The _stele_ was old and worn, the dead Shadowhunter's dearest possession he was certain. He never thought he would get his hands on one of them as they seemed to hold so much value to the Shadowhunters.

Without much thought, he slipped it into his pocket and decided to return home.

Once there he put it in his bedside table with the rest of his stolen treasures.

_**2.** _

It didn't stay in the drawer for long. Unlike everything else in there he would constantly take it out and look it over.

It was beautiful; shining silver with intricate runes drawn around it.

He and Izzy had read all about them in the Shadowhunter's Codex that Magnus had given him a few months earlier. How it was made and what it was used for.

A part of him was drawn to it, wanted to _try_ , and it terrified him. His mother had wanted him out of this life, and he had considered him and Isabelle separate from Shadowhunters despite sharing the same blood and names. Now it was as if all of it was calling to him.

He could protect Isabelle better if he used his body to its full potential. A couple runes would give him the extra edge against demons; they wouldn't always have to run, his only advantage would no longer be surprise.

When his thoughts reached that point he would frown in disgust and put the _stele_ away again. Only to return to it a day later, or two, maybe even three, but he never held out.

Shame burned in him just as hotly as temptation.

**_3._ **

After a month of torturing himself with the idea, he approached Isabelle with the topic. He sat with her in her room; walls magically now a glittery purple with her own clothes and books tossed around, her own little home that Alec found comforting.

He had never hidden anything from his sister and this was not something he could hold onto for long.

"I don't know what to do, Izzy," he admitted to her once he'd explained his situation, "Mom would be so upset if she knew I was even thinking about it."

"Because it's a cruel world and you were her baby. It's normal she wouldn't want you to be a part of it, but that doesn't make it wrong."

"What do you think?" He asked.

He considered himself her protector, but he was just as much her brother and her advice and thoughts were invaluable to him.

"It doesn't affect me personally whatever you choose, you'll still be Alec to me, but I think you should just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. If you do it for something you believe in, then you won't regret it later on."

"Thanks, Izzy." He gave her a hug and left a kiss in her hair much like their mother used to do.

With her acceptance, it was easier to make up his mind.

**_4._ **

Alec placed the _stele_ down on the counter between him and Magnus, both of them home while Isabelle was off to school.

Magnus stared at it for a long moment and then dragged his gaze up to Alec. There was no doubt that he'd recognized the angelic object.

"I want you to draw the _voyance_ rune on me," Alec said sounding much more confident than he truly felt.

Magnus blinked slowly a few times before coming up with few words, "And why...?"

"I'm a Shadowhunter, Magnus. But that doesn't mean I'm like them or that I will ever be like them. I want to fight for our real purpose; I want to protect people. I want to protect my sister, and I know you may be powerful, but if something happens and I didn't have the strength to help you then... Then I will have failed you. And I will have failed myself."

"Alexander..." Magnus took his hand in his and squeezed it gently, "Our safety doesn't rest on your shoulders, we're not your responsibility. Not even Isabelle. Your heart is your biggest strength, Alexander, and there are no runes that can compare to that."

"I'm not doing this out of some form of twisted obligation or power envy. I've spent so long agonizing over what I should do because I felt like I should, but I didn't understand _why_. Now I know. I'm not meant to be a mundane, I can't do it the way Izzy can. I'd rather use my time to learn better ways to protect the people I care about. Do you understand, Magnus? I need you to understand because I can't do this if you don't."

"I don't want to lose you to them," Magnus said truthfully, face soft as he understood Alec's intentions quite clearly, but still held some reservations.

"You won't. I could wear a thousand runes and I'll always be me. They could never turn me against you."

"I have faith in your resilience, Alec, but that's not what I meant. You'll risk exposing yourself to them; if they see your runes or see you wielding a seraph blade... They won't be kind to you. Illegally acquired weapons might get thrown under the rug with the right incentive, but illegally applied runes? I can't see them offering a pardon for that."

"I can promise that I won't go out looking for fights, so they won't see me fighting. As for the runes? There are plenty of places to apply them where no one can see them in normal circumstances. I don't want the _voyance_ rune on my hand. I was thinking here," He pointed at his right inner forearm, "You may hate my sweaters, but they can hide a lot."

Magnus didn't like the idea, but he accepted that Alec had made up his mind about it and was certain it was a choice done out of love and dedication, as opposed to what Alec had called ' _power envy_ ' - the idea of magical symbols that give strength would certainly be a temptation to many.

"Okay," Magnus agreed, "But I've never even touched a _stele_ before, are you sure you want me to draw it? I'm sure Isabelle would do it if you asked."

"I want you to do it." It was going to hurt, he'd learned from the Codex, and he didn't want Isabelle to see him in pain. That was one thing. But when he had thought about it, it felt right that Magnus should draw his first rune. Typically it was drawn by a Silent Brother with your parents nearby. He had neither, but he did have Magnus. He considered that a fair trade.

"If you insist. It looks like this, correct?" He moved his finger in the air and drew the rune with his magic, a little blue symbol appearing between them.

Alec nodded and held out his arm to Magnus, his features were tense but his face was resolute.

Magnus took his arm gently and stared at the pale skin of his inner arm, focusing on how he would draw the rune, "It'll hurt, but just stay still and it'll be over before you know it."

"' _An icy burn_ '. That's what the Codex says. I can handle it." Alec handed him the _stele_.

Magnus grabbed it cautiously, almost certain it would react badly to his demonic blood, but to his surprise, it glowed softly in his hand waiting to be put to use.

They wouldn't lose Alec to the Shadowhunters, Magnus tried to convince himself. With a firm grip on Alec's arm, he held him in place as he began to draw the rune. Alec's lips pursed as he kept his pain hidden, but his hand took hold of Magnus' sleeve to help ground himself. The simple move helped Magnus remember that this was the same boy he had met so long ago, angry and frightened yet ready to take on the world - and they would do so together.

Alec was fifteen when he got his first rune.

Late by Shadowhunter standards, but done by choice rather than duty and it made it all the more powerful.


	6. A New Shadowhunter in Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments on the last chappie, and now for what you've all been waiting for... here comes Jace!

_**1.** _

Winter was upon New York and Alec wandered the streets with no real destination in mind. When he wasn't training he had taken to walking the streets and visiting various friends. They were Magnus' friends to be honest, but he had claimed them as his own too and the affections were mutual.

They clearly found Isabelle more pleasant, but they seemed to respect him well enough for what they knew of him. Be it as a mundane with the Sight or as an undercover Shadowhunter.

He'd left the Jade Wolf after lunch with Jordan Kyle, a member of the Praetor Lupus, where he'd been entrusted by Magnus to get some Downworld information for him. He had been living with Magnus for three years now and not much had changed except that everyone was growing more and more on edge in this standstill between the Circle members and the rest of the Shadow world.

No one had been attacked in the last couple of weeks, and he sent off the information to Magnus knowing it would make his day.

He'd intended to slowly make his way home, but his eyes found a silhouette jumping over the rooftops at high speeds and he followed as he always did.

After so long Alec had learned to recognize the Shadowhunter's living at the Institute, knew their names and what they looked like. It seemed to be one of the younger ones, which indicated it likely wasn't a dangerous mission.

To follow him, Alec climbed up the fire escape of a nearby apartment building and spotted him jump down into an alley. Alec jumped across the few buildings between them and inched near the edge of the roof to look down at the scene.

A group of three converged in the alley, taking down a demon in a few well-practiced moves. Once it was dead and the ichor stained the ground they stayed in place and spoke.

"That was easy," one of them huffed. Alec knew this to be Elijah Whitelaw, and with him were his brother Dominic and his cousin Ariel.

"We should get to blondie, pretty sure I saw a couple going his way," Ariel said.

"He can take care of himself. Best Shadowhunter of our generation right?" Dominic seemed as though he were quoting someone, and he clearly didn't like this mysterious fourth person. The other two appeared to feel the same.

Together they left the alley and from what Alec guessed they were headed back to the Institute and leaving this other person behind.

His distaste of Shadowhunters had already reached immense intensity, but their disinterest in the safety of someone they should consider a teammate in the war against demons ground on his already sensitive nerves. There was no thinking it through before Alec took the leap across the building and started searching for this other person.

He found a head of blond hair surrounded by three demons a couple buildings down. It was obvious why he would be considered the best of their generation, even mockingly done, as he swung his seraph blade with confidence and a smirk on his lips despite being outnumbered.

The boy held his own quite well for a while, killing two, but as the second one went down the third one crept up behind him.

Perhaps he could have dealt with it, maybe he had sensed it and had a counter-move in his mind already, but to Alec, he could only see that he was in danger. He wouldn't care for most Shadowhunters, but knowing he had been abandoned here to fend for himself had given Alec a sense of familiarity with this stranger.

Alec jumped down from his position and drew out his blade in one swift movement. He swung at the final demon and chopped it in half right down the middle, the two parts slowly separating and melting into goop that hit the ground with a plopping sound.

The boy turned to him with surprise written in his wide mismatched eyes.

"Your friends suck."

**_2._ **

When Alec met Jace for the first time he was wearing his oldest and rattiest sweater, his hair was a mess, and he had on black nail polish from Isabelle's last so-called practice session.

Not anything that had ever mattered to him before, but for some reason, he took note of it as his eyes met those of the boy in front of him.

His heart fluttered in a way that made him feel awkward and flustered; not an unusual state of being for him in all fairness.

The boy was handsome and he clearly knew it; his grin was cocky and Alec kind of wanted to punch him in the face, but there was something in his eyes that made him glad he had chosen to jump down and join the fight in the first place.

"They're not my friends. But yeah, they suck."

"They left," Alec said bluntly, not feeling the need to elaborate.

"I know. Wouldn't be the first time. They're just jealous of my clearly superior skills." The boy walked closer to him, boots squishing in the ichor but he didn't seem to care. Or notice.

Alec could tell it bothered him, years of trying to figure out Magnus' brain had taught him to read expressions quite well. He made no comment on it.

"I'm Jace. I'm also pretty sure I've met all the Shadowhunters in New York." Jace's tone was light, but there was a sharpness in his eyes. He pushed Alec's blade aside, reminding him he still had it active in his hand.

He withdrew the blade and put it away, "I'm Alec." The rest was ignored.

Jace took the hint, "Well, I suppose I owe you, Alec. How about we go get a bite to eat? My treat."

"Um." Now would probably be a good time to get the hell out of there. The boy had already seen far too much, knew too much now in so little time. Alec couldn't risk exposure, couldn't risk his family's safety, but the boyish charm and flirty smile were compelling.

"Don't worry, being speechless around me is perfectly normal. I'll take your silence as a yes. Shall we?"

Alec narrowed his eyes at him, wondering briefly if his narcissism was some sort of coping mechanism or if he was actually just a dick. Remembering why he was there in the first place, he decided to go with the benefit of the doubt.

Contrary to some of the men and women he'd met who thought the world was owed to them, Jace wasn't mocking in his self-confidence which seemed to make it almost endearing.

Jace brushed his arm as he walked by him, his grin present and alluring, and he expected Alec to follow him out of the alley and onto the street.

He did.

**_3._ **

Against everything he had lived his life by up to that point he took up Jace's offer for food, despite not being hungry after lunch with Jordan, and they went to Taki's.

The nixie waitress knew both of them, but Alec was thankful she stayed professional and didn't even hint at their acquaintance. Alec could spot her glancing at their table every now and then meaning Magnus would know by now, and he expected a fun welcome home.

Jace was charming and easily met Alec's short quips and comments with something to spark the conversation. More than once Alec had been told his social skills were lacking, too blunt and sarcastic for most people, but Jace laughed and responded in kind.

They ate and chatted in comfort, something Alec didn't experience much outside of Isabelle and Magnus. Being relaxed outside of home was difficult when just around the corner could be his next fight.

It was made apparent early on that neither of them were willing to speak about themselves; Alec for obvious reasons and Jace was rightfully wary of him, his earlier comment about never having heard of him still at the forefront of his mind. It didn't affect their time together though, easily slipping into generic yet entertaining topics that made them sit there far longer than their food could last.

"I need to go," Alec stated after too much time had slipped by, spotting the clock and seeing it was growing late. He should have been home by now.

"It is pretty late," Jace acknowledged, "I suppose they'll be planning my funeral by now, it's about time I get back just to spite them."

Jace paid the bill as promised and they exited the diner. He led Alec to the side of the building for them to part ways.

"This was fun, Alec, we should do this again soon," Jace said, smile pleasant and genuine.

"Expect me to save your ass a lot?" Alec teased gently.

"If it keeps you coming back I will _happily_ be your damsel in distress."

Alec rolled his eyes at him. Jace seemed to take it as a good sign and stepped closer to him, the space between them small and personal.

"So is this the part where you let me kiss you?" Despite the wording, Alec knew he was asking for consent and he appreciated it. Despite the front of confidence he had never stopped making sure Alec was with him at every turn.

Rather than respond Alec leaned forward. Jace closed his eyes, but Alec moved slightly off and kissed him softly on the cheek. When he drew back Jace's eyes were bright with amusement and he laughed, "Alright I'll take the hint. Bye, Alec. I'll see you around soon, I'm sure of it."

"Goodnight, Jace."

**_4._ **

"Was he at least cute?"

Magnus cornered him the moment he stepped through the door. He brought him to the kitchen to talk while Isabelle sat on a windowsill in the living room doing some homework. She would be patient and wait her turn to bombard him once Magnus was done with him.

Alec took a seat on one of the stools and let himself be guided through this talk, already having known it would happen as soon as he was spotted in public with the other Shadowhunter.

"He was... charming," Alec stated plainly, not wanting to admit to himself he definitely thought the other boy was cute.

Despite being seventeen he had little to no experience with finding people attractive, let alone dating or relationships. He had too much on his mind to waste time on something he considered trivial. Magnus being so open with anything concerning sexuality and sex had left him open to the idea of liking boys, something he knew he would never have gotten if he'd grown up in the Institute, but that didn't make it easy.

"His name is Jace," Alec told him, knowing Magnus well enough to know what he would want to know, "The other Shadowhunters don't seem to like him much, but that's pretty much all I've got."

"I'd heard there was a new Shadowhunter at the Institute, but no one knows much about him. I've always said you can do what you like, this included, but be careful, okay? We don't know what kind of Shadowhunter he is."

"I know. He's not like them, I can tell, but I'll be careful. Although I'm not sure I'll see him again. Might be best that way."

Magnus sighed softly, already regretting his next words, "Listen, of course I would rather it _not_ be a Shadowhunter, but if you want to date him then by all means... You have reliable instincts, Alexander, and I trust your judgement."

"It wasn't a date," Alec denied automatically.

"Well whatever it was, don't feel guilty about doing it again."

Alec nodded and sat in silence for a while, giving Magnus time to summon him his favourite tea and set the styrofoam cup in front of him. Alec took it in his hands and blew at the liquid in an attempt to cool it down.

"He wanted to kiss me," Alec admitted to Magnus once he had formed the words. His cheeks were flushed, but years of time together had made him comfortable enough to meet his gaze while saying such a statement.

"Oh?" There was a smile on Magnus' lips, held back as much as possible to match Alec's more subdued expression.

"I didn't, but... I kind of wanted to."

"He must be pretty special if he's captured your attention."

Alec had grown used to Magnus' gentle way of praising him indirectly, and the comment didn't fluster him like it once would have. Rather, it made him warm and content in the presence of a loving and dear friend.

"He's... interesting. There's just something about him." As he thought over their meeting he recalled the one most troubling factor and shared it with Magnus, "He knows I'm a Shadowhunter. I killed a demon that was going to attack him, and he saw me use my seraph blade. I don't think he'll say anything though."

Magnus' lips pursed, but he didn't press it, "Even if he says anything they won't pursue it without any proof. We'll be fine so long as he doesn't know who you are."

"He doesn't, I promise."

Magnus believed him and left it at that.

"So? Was he cute?"

Alec groaned.


	7. Healing Runes Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goodness, thank you all so much for the wonderful comments, you have no idea how much it makes my day!!!
> 
> For you lovely folks I'm putting this chappie out a bit early :)
> 
> The end of the story is coming along nicely so hopefully, I can put out chapters quicker!!
> 
> Enjoy :)

**_1._ **

Their second not-a-date happened after similar circumstances. The Whitelaw children seemed intent on getting him killed one way or another, abandoning him frequently against insane odds. Alec had good timing, managing to show up when he was needed most of the time.

Whether or not there were times when he didn't show and Jace managed to survive was another story; one Jace didn't seem keen to share.

Like with everything else to do with himself and the New York Institute.

They had come to a silent agreement that their secrets would remain as such without unwanted probing. Alec appreciated getting the treatment in return, though it left him yearning for the truth he knew he wouldn't get. Not yet, anyhow.

He wondered if that was how Magnus had felt when he had known that he and Isabelle had secrets, but hadn't pressed for answers out of kindness.

The last minute rescues became a pattern and eventually they simply exchanged phone numbers and decided when to meet up.

They mostly went out for food or drinks, keeping their locations either mundane or Downworlder-friendly with little exposure to Shadowhunters. Jace wasn't automatically disliked by Downworlders like most Shadowhunters, so he had somehow proven himself to be generally neutral in their eyes. After every totally-not-a-date, he certainly grew more attracted to the boy, but somehow more withdrawn with fear of what could happen if the truth were discovered.

It was a conundrum he kept to himself.

"-I snuck 'round back and caught the demon by surprise. The thing was _huge_!" Jace told his story enthusiastically, surely exaggerating but Alec found it immensely amusing and let him tell it as he wanted.

There was warmth between them, a little spark in their first meeting that bloomed with every smile and laughs shared.

The moment, and Jace's story, was cut short as Jace's phone burst to life with a default ringtone.

He dug it out of the pocket of his leather jacket and spoke more coldly to the person on the line than Alec had ever heard from him.

"I have to go. Some disturbance at a club a few blocks down."

"Which one?"

"Um... _Pandemonium_ , I think? Does that sound right? Some demon or other I need to deal with."

Alec knew that club; it was Magnus' and one of the few safe spaces remaining for Downworlders. Mostly since Magnus had been warding the place for decades. No demon could have possibly gotten in without setting off alarms... Unless they were actually at the hotel next door, which was likely.

"It won't be inside the club," Alec explained, "But I know where it could be."

"Well let's get going then." Jace's grin was bright, always eager for the next fight.

Alec slipped on his coat and followed Jace out of the restaurant, "Did you tell the Whitelaws you were here with me?" Otherwise, it was oddly convenient that they called Jace and he happened to be the closest to the club.

"They knew I was here on a super sexy date," Alec rolled his eyes though his cheeks flushed to betray him, "But they don't need to know with who. Not really their business."

"Oh. Okay." Jace had taken up a habit of walking a little bit too close, their shoulders constantly brushing together and Alec's mind sometimes strayed to thoughts of getting closer to him. He wondered what it might be like to hold him or kiss him, but he shook those thoughts away as he did every time. "Is your team meeting you there? I don't want them to see me." He was always reminded why he kept distance between them, even if it made his mind fuzzy with _want_.

"They were probably told to meet me there..." Jace didn't elaborate.

Alec could fill in the blank. There would be no backup.

**_2._ **

It was something around six in the evening and the club was dark, the opening hour still a ways off. Alec led them to the side of the building so they could prepare any needed runes, and then they located the back door of the hotel next door. It was as close as any demon could get; the club's years of perfected wards meant Downworlders were welcome, but full-blooded demons would go up in flames if they came too close.

With a simple _open_ rune the door unlocked and they slid inside the building. They were glamoured and armed, but they found nothing in the first room. It was the back room of a kitchen, a few garbage bags to the side ready to be brought out for disposal. There was some noise through the next door which appeared to be the kitchen as there was some clanking of pots and pans as basic room service items were prepared.

"Follow me," Jace whispered and they crept through the kitchen quietly, eyeing the two staff members to see if they might be a shapeshifting demon.

Alec wouldn't spot them with his little experience, but Jace seemed content in their mundaneness and had Alec follow him out to the main reception room.

"Doesn't seem like a demon's been around," Alec pointed out.

The hotel was running normally from what he could see.

There was a bored twenty-something-year-old behind the desk and no sense of panic whatsoever from anyone in the building.

"They didn't tell me how they got the info. It could have been from one of the computers, the readings can be off sometimes. But keep in mind they're very good at avoiding mundanes; if they aren't planning to eat or kill them, that is."

"There are wards around the club, it might have gotten called in by the owner if the thing went too close and triggered one of the alarms. It could have come here to hide. Maybe we should check the rooms facing the club?" Alec knew Magnus preferred to deal with threats himself, but Alec also knew he had taken Isabelle shopping somewhere (Paris maybe?) to help her find something to wear to some University tour she was going on in a couple of weeks.

He wouldn't consider a demon enough motivation to cancel his shopping trip.

"Great idea! I'd wager on the first floor, what do you think?"

Jace had proven that he was an excellent Shadowhunter in their few fights together and the clear confidence he had in his own skills, but the fact that he was including Alec in a process he could handle himself was sweet.

"I, yeah, I think so too." It made the most sense, the first floor rooms had porch doors that weren't monitored that the demon could have easily used to break into the building.

They headed off down a set of halls until they found a row of rooms that would match what they were looking for; their porch doors would be facing the side of the club.

Jace pressed an ear to the first door, and when nothing of interest could be heard even with a rune to enhance his hearing, he went to the next and the next, Alec close behind with a nervous hand near his blade.

Walking into a fight willingly was not something he made the habit of doing, he had respected his previous statement to Magnus and his sister that he would not endanger himself pointlessly. Any fights he had been a part of up to that point had been to defend himself, or protect someone else.

Jace was in no danger here, but he couldn't choose to abandon him either. It was something Alec couldn't even fathom doing.

At the last door of the row, Jace heard something without even needing to press his ear to it, and he pointed at it to let Alec know this was it.

Alec nodded back.

There must have been something in his expression to cause worry, as Jace frowned and pressed his hands on his chest, pushing him back and away from the door slowly until he was pressed against the opposing wall. Hopefully out of earshot of whatever creature was behind that door, Jace whispered to him, "You should stay here, I can handle this."

Alec shook his head stubbornly, "I can do this. Promise."

Jace took a moment to gauge him, eyes flickering across his face to try and decide if he was being honest or uselessly brave. He placed a gentle hand on his cheek, the touch warm and nice, "Okay. Let's do this."

They went back to the door and Jace held his fingers up as he counted down from three. Once his countdown complete he drew a quick _open_ rune on the door, not wasting the time to see if it would open or not first, and stepped through the threshold with his seraph blade blazing in his hands.

The hotel rooms were small and didn't have enough space for a proper fight, but Jace wasn't deterred by the close quarters.

The noise Jace had heard had apparently been chewing; Alec heard it as they stepped inside and it stopped shortly after. When they entered the main room, the little hall widening into a room comprised of a bed and television, Alec could see exactly what the noise had been. His stomach churned as his eyes landed on the remains of whatever poor soul had booked that room for the night.

Jace barely spared it a glance and only the fact that the demon had clearly spotted them had Alec tearing his gaze away.

"Hey there, ugly," Jace mocked it and dodged out of the way of the creatures claw.

Alec didn't know demons very well, he recognized a few common breeds and only knew the names of those he and Jace had encountered or the few his brain bothered to remember from the Codex. This thing was green and slimy, with traces of ichor all over the carpet and the bed where the dead mundane was lying, and its arms were just long extensions of its slime with claws sticking out. It had glowing violet eyes that were locked onto Jace, deeming him the bigger threat.

Jace fought well as he always seemed to, avoiding the large creature's claws and its attempt at taking Jace between its large toothy jaws. With a swing of his blade, the creature's left arm was severed from its body, hitting the floor with a gross plop.

"Alec, duck!"

Following Jace's frantic order he ducked down, narrowly avoiding the demon's remaining arm as it swung out wildly. Alec swung his own blade at the demon, cutting through its abdomen-like area and black ichor seeped through the wound.

It growled angrily and swung again.

This time Jace didn't bark an order at him, instead, he jumped in the way. His blade was up and cut through the second arm, but its claw slashed across his shoulder and threw him to the opposing wall where he crumpled to the floor on impact. He didn't move again.

"Jace!"

In a daze of fear and adrenaline, Alec managed to chop off the demon's head, with no arms now much less of a danger to him. Once the rest of its body decomposed before his eyes Alec rushed to Jace's side.

He was slumped against the wall, breathing but still unconscious.

Alec's pulse had yet to settle, frantically shaking his shoulders and calling his name. The cut on his shoulder was weeping blood and the edge of the skin was turning a sickly yellow. His jumbled mind tried to remember any single healing rune but when he came up with nothing, he sent off an urgent text to Magnus.

' _Meet me at home now. Please. Need help._ '

He made sure their glamour runes were still in place, and then he picked him up and held him in his arms and started the trek home. The cleanup still left to do, the mundane would have to be dealt with, was forgotten in his haste. It could wait.

Everything could wait until Jace was healed.

**_3._ **

Alec was shaking as he brought Jace into the loft. He hadn't stopped shaking since he'd picked up his unconscious body.

Magnus and Isabelle were home to greet him.

"Thank god you got my text! Magnus, I don't know what to do. It - it got him in the shoulder and he was unconscious and, and..."

"Put him on the couch," Magnus told him calmly, "If he's not bleeding all over my carpet he's probably not dying. Take deep breaths, Alexander."

Alec gently put Jace down on the sofa and stayed by his side, brushing the hair out of his face and staring anxiously at him as if he would suddenly wake up. Magnus' advice was ignored, his anxiety making him unable to wrap his mind around anything other than Jace.

"Alexander," Magnus said more commandingly from next to him. Alec hadn't even noticed him get so close. He put a hand on his shoulder, "You need to breathe. I'll heal him, but I need you to calm down, alright?"

The words were fuzzy in his ears.

"Isabelle, please take your brother out for some air. Bring him back once he's calmed down a bit." Magnus spoke over his shoulder then faced him again, forcing Alec to meet his gaze, "Go with Isabelle."

"I-I can't leave him! It was my fault, he-he jumped in the way and-"

Magnus shushed him, running a gentle hand through his hair and staying put at the back of his neck to help ground him, "I'll take care of Jace, but I need you to take care of yourself right now, alright? Trust me. I'll do everything I can here."

Trusting Magnus came easy, and so he nodded jerkily. Isabelle took his arm and pulled him out of the room gently but firmly.

Magnus was done healing Jace long before Isabelle had managed to get her brother calm enough to bring him back to the room.

He was sitting down sipping some coffee when they walked back into the room. Alec smiled at him sheepishly, "Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. He'll be awake in a bit. The demon's slime had a sedative effect and it got into his bloodstream when it struck him. It's likely used as a paralyzer before a death strike and will fade from his system soon enough."

"Oh, good..." Alec breathed out in relief, "Thank you, Magnus. I'm sorry I..."

Magnus raised a hand to stop him, "It's perfectly normal to be worried, Alexander. I know he's _special_ to you."

"So this is the guy you've been all mooney over?" Isabelle stepped up to the couch and peered over the edge to get a look at Jace, "He's cute."

"I'm not mooney! We're friends, that's all." It was unconvincing, but Magnus and Isabelle held off on their teasing. He was still recovering from the overload of anxiety caused by Jace's injury, he didn't need any extra stress.

"Of course, big brother," she said to placate him. "What happened anyway?"

"We were at, um, dinner when he got a call about a demon near _Pandemonium_. Did you call that one in?" He asked Magnus.

He nodded, "We had finally found the perfect dress and Izzy was trying it on; I wasn't going to abandon my fashion duties for one pesky demon!"

"I figured," he drawled, rolling his eyes at how obvious his priorities were. He took a seat at the edge of the couch where Jace was lying down, and he went on to tell them everything that had happened up to taking Jace home.

Alec could hardly keep his eyes off him, as if afraid he would suddenly not be okay anymore. No one had ever been hurt on his watch, and it was a harsh reality to accept so suddenly. He couldn't protect everyone all of the time.

Magnus stood from his loveseat, Isabelle having squashed herself next to him while listening to her brother's story slipped into the center and sprawled into the available space.

He walked over to Alec and placed a gentle kiss to the top of his head, whispering to him, "It's okay, Alec. These things happen, whether you like it or not. You did the smart choice by getting him help as quickly as you did. In a more dire situation, quick thinking like that will make all the difference."

"Thanks, Magnus," he mumbled, not quite believing it, but it was nice to hear none the less. "Did you manage to get the dress, by the way?"

"We did!" Izzy piped up, "It's so beautiful, Alec! I can show it to you if you want."

"Do you mind... later? I want to see it, just in a bit." Alec's glance to the still-unconscious boy was clear enough.

She didn't mind, "Of course! I'll get back to my homework. What's the point of visiting the University if I can't even get into it, right? Come see me later!" She hopped off the loveseat and retreated to her room.

"Love you!" Alec called after her and she chimed back before shutting herself away for some quiet. She'd been working diligently to get into Queen's University, the science program second best in the country, and his pride was immeasurable. He was looking forward to touring the place in a couple of weeks, but right now his mind could only focus on the boy in front of him.

He started up the T.V with the volume low, something to stare at that wasn't Jace, while he waited for him to wake.

It didn't take a full episode of _Gilmore Girls_ before he started stirring.

Alec immediately turned to him, bringing his knees up to his chin and wrapping his arms loosely around them while keeping his eyes on Jace.

His eyes opened slowly, blinking repeatedly as the bright lights of the loft bombarded his senses, and quickly latched onto Alec, "hey you," he greeted with a grin.

"How are you feeling?" Alec asked worriedly.

"You know what? I'm a bit breathless, I think a bit of mouth to mouth might help." Jace's grin was as bright and flirty as always, and it had Alec rolling his eyes fondly.

"You're impossible."

"Just means you have to try harder." Jace slowly brought himself to a seated position, both boys facing each other on the cozy couch. "I should rethink the whole damsel in distress thing because my prince clearly doesn't know the magical properties of smooches."

At that moment Magnus waltzed in, placing a little glass filled with some blue liquid on the coffee table. There was amusement in his golden eyes, likely having overheard Jace's hopeless flirting, and Alec flushed lightly at this strange gathering between his new friend and family.

Jace's expression grew stoic.

"This will help with your headache," Magnus explained the drink.

"I'm fine." The words were almost as cold as when he'd spoken on the phone with that Shadowhunter earlier. Jace seemed to catch Alec's confused and disappointed look, quickly shifting into something more polite. "Actually, my head does hurt a bit, thank you. Did you help me?" He sounded confused at the idea. He drank the blue liquid.

Magnus wasn't impressed with him at all.

Alec smiled softly, "Yes, he healed you. This is Magnus, my... friend." Describing their relationship to outsiders was not a fun thing, and he glossed over it most of the time. He was more than a friend, and not quite a parent, but loved like family. ' _Friend_ ' would do for Jace.

"Oh. Well, thanks." He smiled politely.

"You're welcome." Magnus was equally polite, but Alec knew it wasn't heartfelt. He left the two boys alone with a quick look to Alec he could only discern as worry.

"Do you live here... with...?" Jace vaguely gestured towards where Magnus had been standing.

"Yeah. He owns the place. We came to live here a while ago. Did the potion help?"

Jace nodded, "yes."

"That's good. Listen, Jace, I'm... I'm sorry. I know it was my fault, if I hadn't been there you'd have killed the demon without getting hurt."

"Sometimes we get hurt, that's just reality. But we fought together, and we won together, end of story. I was reckless and it got me; I'll do better next time."

"I couldn't remember any healing runes. I've been working on learning them, but when I saw you hurt it all just... vanished," Alec admitted softly, gazing down at his own socked feet rather than Jace, "my ineptitude could have killed you."

Jace stayed quiet for a moment, assessing him with his calculating gaze, "How long have you been training as a Shadowhunter?"

"Two years or so," Alec answered honestly, not really thinking about hiding the truth anymore.

"I can tell. Not in a bad way, but typically healing runes are the first ones you remember since they're used so often. Especially with young Shadowhunters. If you don't know them by muscle memory at this point, you haven't been fighting very long. Or you only fight if you can win - not typical Shadowhunter behaviour, though I already knew that about you."

"I'll run if it keeps my family safe," Alec defended himself, tone still gentle as his shame for allowing Jace to get hurt was still foremost in his mind.

"And you're not honour-bound. It's admirable. And rare in Shadowhunters," Jace pointed out, "you also have a peculiar fighting style from what I've seen. It's like you've watched someone fight and you're smart enough to figure out how the motions work and adapt it to yourself, you simply haven't fought _against_ something and that's what goes against you."

"That obvious, huh?"

Jace seemed to deflate at his tone, and drew back into himself, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... sorry," he mumbled, not quite meeting Alec's gaze, "I know people hate when I do that, it just slips out sometimes."

"It's okay, I don't mind. It's nice to see myself through your eyes." Alec cleared his throat and ignored Jace's grin, "I mean since you know how to fight and all that."

"Of course."

"Do you think that maybe sometime, if you have time, you could show me? A little?"

"To fight?"

"Yeah. I'd like to get better, but I'm not sure how to go about it."

"Sure, Alec. I'd like that. My most reliable teammate _should_ be getting the best training." Jace's phone had started ringing as he spoke and he pulled out the device with a look of displeasure on his handsome face. He answered the phone, "Yes, it's taken care of."

A pause.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be back in a bit."

Another pause.

"I'm sure Eli is _very_ sorry he couldn't make it."

Pause.

"Bye."

Alec watched him, bewildered by how quickly his moods could change depending on who he was speaking with. His smile was pleasant once more now that the call was over and he crawled over to Alec, crossing his arms over Alec's knees and leaning in so very close.

"I've gotta go. Duty calls. Meet me tomorrow at the cemetery off Lincoln Avenue for 3? Be ready to get your ass whooped."

"I'll see you then." Alec placed a hand on Jace's chest, seeming as if he might move in closer. Instead, he pushed him back forcefully. Jace fell back against the couch cushions, hands thrown over his head dramatically.

"My fair maiden, why do you reject me so?!" He exclaimed over-dramatically, unable to hold his own laughter until the end of his words.

Alec smiled and rolled his eyes, completely enamoured by the silly boy.

Jace met his gaze and they remained in silence for a moment simply enjoying the mutual joy between them. Eventually, he sighed and sat up, remembering that he had to return to the Institute.

The real world was never far away.

**_4._ **

"You don't like him."

They sent Jace home in a portal, and Alec knew it wasn't out of kindness. Magnus didn't want Jace knowing where they lived, and Alec didn't blame him, not really. Once it faded out of view Alec turned to Magnus with the statement ready on his lips.

"It's not that I don't like him, Alexander-."

"But you don't."

"Well, his flirting is _quite_ atrocious," Magnus said as if that would be a reason, wandering off to his office (a room full of ingredients and half-made potions) with nonchalance in his steps and words. Years had given Alec time to know it was his way of downplaying his own feelings.

"He's just joking with the flirting, it's not like he - that's not the point and you know it. Tell me what the issue is. I thought you were okay with him being a Shadowhunter."

"That's fine, yes, but..." Magnus waved his hand in the way he did when he was hesitating on his words. He pushed through it though, and continued on, "It's not that I don't like him. It's that he doesn't like me."

"What do you mean? You spoke like ten words to each other."

"Ah... Yes, that's true. But you didn't see his eyes the moment he saw me. I did. I've seen that look before, and that is what I don't like."

"You're worried."

"There are two kinds of Shadowhunters, Alexander. Those who tolerate Downworlders, like yourself and the Whitelaws... and those that don't." He said bluntly, not needing to state who that might be.

"Don't compare me to the Whitelaw's," Alec said, fully offended by the comparison, "And you can't know, not yet. Give him time. We've gone to a bunch of places with Downworlders and I've never seen him treat them any differently. Maybe he was... I don't know." Alec couldn't justify it, not without really knowing it himself.

Jace wouldn't be one of those Shadowhunters, he couldn't be. Alec would know. He would have seen it.

"I've always trusted your judgment, Alexander, you know that. If you wish to pursue this, I'll support you as I always do. Just..."

"Be careful." Alec finished for him.

"That's all I ask."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, please feel free to leave me a comment! They really make my day and give me the boost I need to keep writing :)


	8. Shadowhunter Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter eight! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**_1._** _Session One_

"As I told you yesterday, the biggest thing holding you back is that you haven't been able to fight against someone. Learning the moves is fine, but without resistance, it only gets you so far. We'll start with some basic sparring, get a feel for it, and then I'll have more of an idea what to work on. Are you ready?"

Jace threw him a bamboo stick, and he settled into a fighting stance.

They were in some sort of underground grave that was, according to Jace, a safe haven for Shadowhunters. There were weapons of all kinds and a large open space between some wall mounted tombs. It was quiet and secluded, the perfect place for them to train, albeit a little bit creepy.

Getting his ass whooped was an understatement.

That's how Alec felt, though Jace assured him he was doing fine.

"You could kick Eli's ass any day of the week. And he's been training his whole life." Jace said with a hint of pride colouring his words.

Despite whatever the Whitelaw children thought of Jace, he was an amazing fighter and a brilliant teacher, and Alec knew he was learning a lot in their short time spent together.

"Bring your shoulders back, no slouching!"

"Use your height, Alec, you have way more reach than I do."

"Keep your feet apart, or I'll knock you on your ass again."

An awkward step had them both toppling over, a mess of limbs and heavy breaths. Alec had dragged Jace down with him, and he hit the ground first knocking the air out of his lungs. Jace got the easy landing, falling on top of him and only pulling back to grin at him cheekily.

"Is this what you were hoping for all along?" Alec teased, something that came easily around Jace.

"I'm hoping for a lot of things with you."

Whether that was meant to be romantic or suggestive, Alec wasn't sure.

"Does that include lying on top of me forever, or were you planning on getting off of me any time soon?"

The grin he got in response made him uneasy.

"How about you make me?"

"What?" He glared at him.

"New lesson. What are you going to do in this situation?" In the blink of an eye, Jace pulled a small blade from the inside of his combat boot and placed it near Alec's neck.

Back to training.

**_2._** _Session Two_

It took a few days before they met again for more training, though they did have dinner together some time in between.

Alec needed time to recover physically, still not quite used to remembering to use runes as he wasn't nearly as dependant on them like a regular Shadowhunter. It took Jace reminding him before he applied those that would put him back in top shape.

They practiced with the bamboo sticks again.

Jace called him a natural. Alec wasn't so sure.

"You have some powerful Shadowhunter blood in you," he commented.

Alec remembered his mother and he grew somber. Jace noticed and stepped away from that topic altogether.

He often wondered how she would feel if she could see him now, embracing the world she had purposefully left behind to protect him. Isabelle insisted she would be proud. He wasn't so sure.

"You have to be confident, Alec. If you don't believe in yourself, why should I? Make me believe in you, make me want to have you by my side in a real battle. You don't have to be the best, you hardly have to be great, just be the most you can be and own it, or you'll be joining these guys." The tombs around him were mocking.

"I'm not - I can't, Jace!"

"Why not?"

"Because... Because... It's easy for you to act great because you _are_ , but I-" Alec was growing tense as he kept failing the same move Jace insisted he could do, and it showed in the bite of his words.

"No! No, you don't get to go there. Don't think for a second that I haven't worked my ass off my whole life to be as good as I am, and I still have a lot to learn; that's what our lives are about. We need to keep learning and improving to keep ourselves alive."

"I'm sorry." Alec was brought back to himself by the harshness in his tone, realizing he'd gone a bit too far.

Jace sighed, and gave him a small smile, "You're forgiven. Now, I know this is frustrating you, but I wouldn't be asking you to do this if I didn't think you could do it. Let's try again."

He succeeded this time.

_**3.** Session Five_

"I want you to try with this today." Jace held a weapon out to him, and Alec stared at it like it was the most foreign item he had ever seen.

"What do you want me to do with that?"

"Kill things, hopefully."

"It's not very practical," Alec stated.

"Then you need to broaden your horizons, Alec. Any weapon is good in battle if you know how to use it."

"But... why?" Alec took the bow in his hands, running his fingers over the runes etched into the wood and pulling lightly at the string.

"You have the best hand-eye coordination that I have ever seen in an untrained Shadowhunter. With practice, you'll master it in no time."

"But for what purpose? I'm not fighting in a team, I can't fight off a demon by myself with this."

"Nothing wrong with filling your repertoire; you never know what might come in handy. Give it a try, if you still dislike it that much after some practice then we'll go back to our blades."

"Fine, fine, let's do this."

Jace handed him the matching quiver and guided him into position. Jace had him take the bow and an arrow in his hands and moved his limbs until he was in the correct stance to take a shot. He gave him the necessary directions and had him aim towards the wall.

He threw a throwing knife into it, "Aim for that, the closer the better."

"How am I meant to get a bullseye with your knife in the way?"

Jace laughed brightly, sauntering over to the weapon and pulling it out, leaving a dent in the wall, "I'm liking that confidence, so here's a bit more incentive for you. If you can get the arrow into the hole I'll let you have your wicked way with me."

Startled by the comment Alec let loose the arrow unintendedly, dust floating up as it impaled the ground near Jace's feet.

Alec glared at him and he only grinned in response, shooting him a quick wink.

"You're horrible."

"Mhm." Jace tugged the arrow out of the ground and twirled it between his fingers. He walked over to Alec and handed it back to him with his shit-eating grin intact, "Now let's try that again."

Alec set the arrow back in place and aimed it towards the hole in the wall. He tried to focus, but Jace was making it painfully difficult, "Is this how you train everybody?"

"Of course not, Alec. Each student is unique in their needs."

"And this is what I need, is it?" Alec drawled in his usual tone, though he knew his cheeks were flushed and his heart was fluttering annoyingly.

"Trust your trainer like a proper Shadowhunter." His fingers fluttered over Alec's hips, his front pressed to his back and his breath fanning his neck purposely.

It was very distracting.

Alec ignored him as best as possible, trusting him despite the teasing, and let loose his first shot. It went wide, but it hit the wall which he considered a good start.

He emptied the quiver and started over, all of his shots doing relatively well.

"Loosen your grip on the bow a bit, it won't bite." And, "You're too tense, relax your shoulders." Was the most Jace said to him.

Instead, he kept up his distractions. His fingers trailed up and down his back, tugged on his shirt, and even at one point slipped under the front of his t-shirt to poke at his stomach; he kept himself out of the way of his arms so he could shoot, but otherwise made a complete nuisance of himself the whole time.

Alec didn't mind, per say, but it was making it really difficult to concentrate. That was definitely the point.

Jace had pressed himself fully against him and slipped his hands into his front pockets when he finally made the shot.

Alec let his hands fall to his sides as he stared at his arrow embedded in the hole Jace's knife had made in the wall. He couldn't believe he had actually done it, the numerous other marks in the wall from his failed attempts had been quite discouraging.

"Good one, Alec!" Jace untangled himself from him, Alec wouldn't admit to missing his warmth, and he walked over to the arrow. He pulled it out and leaned against the wall next to it, waving at the once again empty hole with the arrow, "Do it again."

Alec huffed, "Fine." He lifted his arms up again; they were growing tired and he wouldn't be able to shoot much more. He paused for a moment waiting for Jace to move. He didn't. "Are you going to stand there all day?"

"Yup. Shoot." Jace gestured once more to their bullseye.

"You need to move. I don't want to hit you."

"Just take the shot, Alec. I can defend myself against any wayward arrows."

Alec didn't like the idea of shooting a deadly weapon in his general vicinity, but Jace didn't seem perturbed at all and so he took the shot.

It lodged into the bullseye for the second time.

Alec spotted Jace's smug grin and smiled too, feeling proud of himself in a way he couldn't recall ever experiencing before.

"Easier without any distractions, right?" Jace pulled out the arrow and returned to his side. He slipped it into his quiver and stayed close.

"I suppose." Alec admitted, "Though I can imagine worse distractions."

"Oh?" His smirk was telling, "Next time I'll try harder then. Do you want to continue?"

"I think I can take a few more shots." Alec agreed to keep going, though his body was starting to protest. It was exhilarating being able to see progress for once.

"Good. See that smudge over there? Try for that."

Jace gave him several different targets and he managed to hit all of them, though not always on the first try. Moving his body and switching his aim was a whole new learning process. Though Jace mourned the fact they had no moving targets as that was the realistic purpose of their training. Alec refused to admit that his tactic had worked; using a bow for the very first time with distractions had made it almost too easy to go without.

"You're a natural, just like I thought. Thank the Angel because if this required any effort on my part this would go to shit since I can't shoot that thing to save my life."

"Thank _who_?"

Jace's stare made him regret asking.

"The.. Angel? Raziel? The reason we exist to kick demon ass?"

"Oh. Right. I forgot about that." He remembered the relevant parts of the Shadowhunter's Codex, the rest... well Izzy enjoyed those. He remembered his mother's stories, but those were distant memories.

"You're _so_ weird." Jace made it sound endearing, though Alec could tell it was also a truth to him. Alec would say the same about Jace.

**_4._** _Session Six_

Alec held onto a fourty-page notebook at the start of their next session. Jace asked about it and Alec explained its purpose with as much enthusiasm as he could bear to show.

"Magnus enchanted this for me. I know you wanted moving targets for the bow training since its more practical, so we've got this. It's not perfect, but it should serve its purpose well enough. Let me show you."

Alec flipped it open and tore out the first page. Instantly the page glowed with a dark blue sheen and it transformed into an origami bird in his hand. It started flying around, the sound of fluttering paper echoing in the room. Jace stared at it with a satisfied smirk for a moment, then his brows furrowed in curiousity and he looked back at Alec.

"Magnus did this for you? Why?"

" _Why_?" Alec repeated with a frown, not quite understanding. The bird settled on his shoulder. "Because I told him how our training went and he offered it to help...?"

"Right. Of course. Shall we?" Jace held out the bow and quiver to him, his face morphing back to his usual warmth.

_Two kinds of Shadowhunters..._

Magnus' words rang in his ears, but Alec wasn't in the mood to press it.

Not yet, not when things were nice and there was no proof.

Jace sat on the ground and let Alec shoot arrows around him, pulling out a new page when he managed to shoot the moving paper bird and providing pointers when needed.

Training was good. The rest was quiet.

**_5._** _Session Nine_

Not saying anything didn't last long.

"Luke? As in Lucian, the werewolf pack alpha?"

"Yeah."

"Why would you be having dinner together?" The sheer confusion in his voice is what kept Alec from snapping automatically.

"Because meeting up with friends every once in a while is a good way to keep healthy relationships." That wasn't Magnus' philosophy on the matter, rather he had learned that from the ever-crabby Ragnor Fell. He took it to heart and made time to see those he considered friends and family at least once every few months for things that didn't involve talking about the newly deceased or injured.

"So, you live with a warlock and you're friends with a werewolf alpha. You have a very interesting lifestyle."

"What does _that_ mean?" He finally snapped.

They hadn't even started training yet; Alec had explained his delay due to an overextended dinner with Luke and a few other pack members, and Jace had refused to bypass it without a comment.

"Nothing!" Jace denied, composure deflating.

"If you have a problem with the people I consider my friends and family then you need to say so now because if that's the case we've both been wasting our time with whatever this is."

"No, no Alec that's not what I mean. I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Surprised about what?" At this, Jace stepped back, not quite meeting his gaze, "What is it?"

"Are you the Lightwood boy?" Jace blurted out.

It was Alec's turn to step back, face paling at the words he had least expected coming from Jace's lips. He was frozen in shock and didn't respond, though that was likely an answer all on its own.

"I had to look into you in case you were a threat, what with you being a Shadowhunter no one at the Institute knows about, and no I haven't told them about you before you ask. A Shadowhunter all by himself, in the right age range, that refuses to seek help from the Institute or even to have them know of his existence? It was the only thing that made sense to me. I'm right, aren't I?"

Alec only nodded once.

He couldn't speak, could hardly think beyond his own panic.

How could it be so obvious to the only Shadowhunter he'd exposed himself to? Would they all know if they caught wind of him? Then he thought of Isabelle - she was safe, he convinced himself. Jace had never seen her, and no one knew she existed outside of his trusted friends.

"I... I won't say anything, you know that, right? I know of your parents and their alliance to the Circle, so seeing how easily you've befriended Downworlders, something that's against their beliefs, is strange to me."

"Don't you _dare_ speak ill of my mother," Alec said, voice cracking in anger, "She wanted nothing to do with those people, and she would be proud of my ' _strange_ ' lifestyle."

"She lived?" Jace asked incredulously, his eyes wide with genuine surprise.

"I'm sure the Circle likes to spread some lie about how Valentine murdered her and her son for being traitors or something equally stupid, but no. She lived for many years, keeping us safe until... Until she couldn't."

"I'm sorry," Jace said softly, approaching him cautiously, "You forget sometimes that things aren't always what they seem. I should know better."

"It's okay, Jace. It's hard not to believe what you've been told your whole life." Alec's forgiveness encouraged him to get even closer.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted earlier. I really don't mind that you're friends with Downworlders, if I did you'd have known it ages ago."

"You're forgiven for that too." Alec had managed to calm down from his earlier panic, even managing to draw out a smile, "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Alec held out his hand between the short space between them and stuck out his pinky in an old habit he and Isabelle shared when it came to promises. Jace stared at it curiously.

"What? Do Shadowhunters not do pinky promises? You know they're sacred."

"I, uh... Sure. I pinky promise I won't say a word about you to anyone." Jace's smile lit his face and it took his breath away as he gently wrapped their pinky's together in a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on the last chapter, you are all wonderful and amazing people and I really hope you continue to enjoy this story!


	9. The Sky Turns Grey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments and the kudos :)
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving!

**_1._ **

They were on a date at a warm and cozy Italian restaurant. When thinking back on the day after, Alec could remember that the food was delicious, though didn't remember what he'd ordered.

Jace saw it first. He sat facing the window and saw smoke rising up in the distance.

Alec didn't remember paying the bill. The next thing he could remember was running down the street towards the fire and knowing in the pit of his stomach which building it would be.

Many windows were smashed through, the flames pouring out and licking away at the brick walls. When they arrived people in various uniforms were rushing in and out of the building, on each exit helping the numerous patients out of the burning hospital. A good few were able to walk, but there were some that needed to be carried or wheeled out in wheelchairs or entire beds depending on the condition of the patient.

Alec knew this hospital.

Catarina worked there. He searched her out among the crowd and saw her push a wheelchair out on the grass and start dashing back inside. Alec stopped her and pulled his protesting friend to the side of the building and away from the main crowd. Jace stayed a step behind.

Alec and Catarina were both shaking.

"I have to go back in, Alec!"

He slipped off his sweater and handed it to her, his face stern as he pointed out, "Your glamour is flickering, Cat! Put this on. I'll go in and help, promise you'll stay here."

She slipped on the oversized sweater and put up the hood, shielding her face. She spotted her hands, going from dark-skinned to blue and back in rapid succession. She couldn't pin down her glamour, too exhausted.

"It started on the second floor. Some sort of explosion. I was in the ER; I managed to bubble a few corridors, but..." She was breathing hard and simply let her glamour slip, not able to hold it any longer now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

She sank to her knees and stared up at her hospital.

"Jace, stay with Cat," he ordered, not looking at him as he quickly applied a few necessary runes.

Then he sped off.

Firefighters were arriving in droves now and they were keeping staff from rushing back into the building and were entering it themselves with the proper equipment. Children, sick and injured and other various states, were scattered across the front lawn with nowhere to go.

Alec slipped past them and decided to make his way to the third floor, the uppermost floor of the hospital. The damage to the second floor would be causing it to collapse first, and he knew that the first and second floors were likely either already emptied, or would be seen to by the firefighters.

The halls were chaotic, though luckily there weren't a lot of people. He guided them to the staircase, lifting up rubble and moving obstructions out of the way as best as possible. About a dozen people were out, all those he could see, when the roof collapsed into the center of the building straight through to the second floor. It caused a gap too wide for most to jump between the stairs and the rest of the building.

Alec made the leap, glad to have applied a strength rune, and searched the next few halls.

He was coming up empty, thankfully, mostly offices, a kitchen, and a dining area. There was a hall of rooms, and he shouted out in hopes that if someone remained they would hear him.

At the very last room of the hall a woman, a nurse he guessed by the scrubs resembling Catarina's, stuck her head out of a door and called him over with a frantic wave.

He rushed into the room and found her accompanied by five children, three of them seemed to be unable to leave their beds and were watching their nurse with pale and terrified looks on their faces. The other two were by the window, staring down at their only escape route.

Alec approached her, "Can these children be moved? We'll have to use the window. We're cut off from the stairs."

She was terrified too, but her hands were steady and her gaze steely as her determination to save these children took precedence over herself.

She nodded, "Yes. It won't be pleasant for them, but they can be moved."

"Okay, let's see..." Alec went to the window and looked out to figure out how he was going to manage this.

It was the back of the hospital, oddly quiet and void of people. Everyone had rushed out to the front where the children needed them most.

"Can you make this jump?" He asked her.

Her eyes gleamed silver, a reminder of her inner wolf visible to him with his _voyance_ rune, and she nodded resolutely, "Yes."

"Grab these two. One on your back, the other in your arms, and jump down. I'll do the same." He pointed to one of the mobile children and to one of the bedbound one's.

The two that were mostly healthy and able to move on their own would be able to hold onto them for the jump, and those in the beds would have to be held in their arms to avoid being jostled too much.

"That's four, not five. I'm not leaving one behind."

"You won't have to. There's a fire escape, I'll climb back up for the last one. Promise. We don't have time for anything else, let's get moving."

Alec helped her gather the two she would take down herself and followed suit. A young boy clung to his back, arms as tight around his neck as he could muster, and he held another boy in his arms. Alec could tell he was a faerie of some kind, likely a changeling that had been abandoned by his people. His cheeks were pale and there were dark circles under his eyes, he winced with each movement, but Alec reminded himself they would be alright once they were on the ground.

He made her jump first and he went after, the jump unpleasant to his knees but bearable with help from the runes on his body.

The boy got off his back and he gave the child over to the werewolf nurse to carry along with her own.

"I'll be back in a minute."

The building was creaking as it threatened to collapse entirely. Sirens blared and people were screaming - words or incoherently, Alec couldn't make it out.

He forced his ears to grow fuzzy and block everything out, and he set out to climb up the fire escape back to the third-floor room.

The girl on the bed was crying and he rushed to her side, stroking her hair and promising her everything would be alright. She brightened upon seeing him return, clearly having believed she had been left alone for good. She required more care; he had to take her IV bag off the pole and set it into her weakened arms, then he pulled her to his chest and carried her as gently as he could avoiding the tube connecting her to the bag.

The second jump was equally unpleasant.

Christine, her name came to him suddenly with a brief memory of a gathering with Luke's pack, sighed in relief and led them around the hospital to find the help they would need. She went straight for an ambulance; there were several now parked on the lawn or as close as they could get. Alec deterred and walked over to Luke, police chief and werewolf alpha.

He handed him the child in his arms as he didn't want to approach the ambulance and the thick of the crowd to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, "Here. She'll need to join the rest of them."

"Thank you, Alec. Magnus is over there with Catarina, you should have him see to you. Sounds like you inhaled some smoke."

His throat was sore and he now realized how crackly his voice was coming out, but - "I need to go back in, there could still be-"

"You've done enough. Go to Magnus." Luke shoved him gently in the direction he knew he had left Cat and Jace earlier, and he begrudgingly obliged. Luke would get the child to an ambulance or medical professional for assistance.

Magnus was sitting down next to Catarina and Jace stood by awkwardly. Alec went to Magnus and fell to his knees by his side.

"Alexander!" His hands fluttered around him, magic already pouring over him to heal his wounds.

He had wounds? He hadn't noticed. The pain was slowly making itself known. Bruises up and down his arms as he had caught falling debris, his hands cut up and burnt from moving various items, and his lungs were burning - he had definitely inhaled smoke.

"I should go back in, I don't know if we got everyone," Alec said, coughing at the strain on his lungs.

"I checked. You and the girl were the only life left in there other than the firefighters." Magnus finished healing him but didn't pull away. He wrapped his arms around Alec and let him rest against him.

Alec looked at Catarina. She had been crying.

"How many... Do we know?" He couldn't say it out loud, but it was the only thing that could have made the strong, unbreakable Catarina shed a tear and he had to ask.

"No, not yet," Magnus said softly.

Alec knew he was acting strong for him and Catarina. He was thankful for it.

"What happened?" He asked.

"It was a bomb. It felt like it, anyway." Catarina explained, "I felt it go off on the second floor and I used up my magic to keep it from spreading, but... It's a spell. That's why..." She gestured toward the hospital.

The firefighters were blasting the building with water, but it seemed to have little effect. Yet the fire wasn't spreading either, clearly contained only to the hospital. Magic was obviously involved.

"Must be a warlock," she stated.

Magnus tensed around him, "Yes. Probably one of the Circle's. This is a message. One that's very loud and clear."

"Children, Magnus, _children_." Catarina covered her face and took a few deep breaths.

"What do you mean?" Alec hated asking, but he didn't understand.

"This is known to be a Downworlder-friendly hospital. A lot of the staff are Downworlders and they take in Downworlder children from all over the country. Valentine wants us to remember that he knows we're here and that if we go up against him... This is what will happen."

"Did something happen for us to need this kind of reminder?" The fact that this was a _reminder_ made him sick to his stomach, and he forced back the wave of nausea.

"There was an attack on the Barcelona Institute. It's lead by Circle members, and in quick summary, the Downworlders had had enough." Jace supplied.

"Oh." Alec looked up at Jace, spotting his soot-covered arms and blank expression. He must have gone into the hospital to help as well. "That spell... It would have required a lot of magic. And concentration."

Magnus seemed to catch on to his insinuation and a hardness appeared in his cat eyes, "That's a valid assumption, Alexander. The warlock must be nearby."

"Let's get going then." Alec withdrew from Magnus' embrace and stood, holding out a hand to help up his friend. He looked over at Catarina, "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm fine." She shook her head. Aside from exhaustion, of course.

"That's good. You should get home then, get some rest. Jace, can you go with her? Make sure she gets home safe," he asked and rather than get some pushback as he'd expected, Jace always wanted to join a fight, he agreed.

Jace helped Catarina to her feet and it was proof of the strenuous events of the day that she would accept help from a Shadowhunter in the first place. They parted in two groups, Jace helping Catarina home and Magnus and Alec going on a warlock hunt.

**_2._ **

"I've never been escorted home by a Shadowhunter before." The way Catarina said it made it clear she didn't consider it a good thing.

Jace didn't comment.

They settled into silence, but she eventually sighed, "I suppose I should at least introduce myself. I'm Catarina Loss, Magnus and Alec's friend."

"I'm Jace. I'm sort of dating Alec."

"Sort of?" Her tired eyes glinted with humour.

"We're as of yet still untitled."

"I see." She was managing to walk straight though her vision was growing blurry from fatigue. She didn't live far from the hospital, but the short walk was almost too much. "And Jace who?"

"It's not important," he replied, tone sour.

She noticed and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "Most Shadowhunters love to shove their family name down our throats as if we care."

"Then I'll spare you the waste of time."

The silence grew tense between them. This time they didn't break it.

They arrived at her home after a couple more minutes of walking. He helped her up the stairs, her legs shaking with exertion at this point. After opening the door, moments from stepping inside, she hesitated. She turned back to him with her lips drawn in a hard line.

"When you inevitably betray Alec, and you will because that is what you people _do_ , remember that he is very loved by a lot of very powerful people. I will be the least of your problems."

Jace's face grew stormy, and she accepted that her words were heard.

"Goodbye." She shut the door in his face.

Jace ran a nervous hand through his hair.

Where to now?

**_3._ **

"I'd give it just a mile radius for that kind of spell." Magnus placed a glamour on himself, his eyes on his friend's retreating figure.

"He'll make sure she gets home safe," Alec reassured him. He knew Magnus still held some reservations about Jace.

"I suppose. If I was working that sort of spell I'd want a good vantage point to see what was happening, so my guess is up there somewhere." Magnus pointed to the buildings across the street from the hospital. They appeared to be offices of some kind.

It was the most logical choice and so they went there. The fire at the hospital had caused a disturbance amongst the populace of the surrounding block, and anyone working within the office had stepped outside to watch, or they were standing at the windows in the floors above.

Slipping inside was easy and even if they didn't have glamours on they surely would have gone by unnoticed.

Because the fire was still underway Magnus knew some magic was still at work, and he cast his own spell to trace it. The short distance between them and the warlock made it easy for Magnus' spell to find the strands of magic floating between the fifth floor and the hospital.

They took the elevator to the fifth floor to find their warlock.

Alec was still distraught, his hands were shaking and he couldn't quite wrap his mind around anything that had happened or that was looming ahead of them, but thankfully he had Magnus, who stood tall and furious and focused by his side.

The warlock was alone in a conference room; there was a large window giving view to the hospital across the street. She stood facing the window and didn't turn to them, her hands moving steadily in front of her to manipulate the spell.

Magnus' hands glowed blue and he pinned her arms to her sides and turned her to them. Alec gasped at what faced them.

Thick blackened veins spread from her eyes across her forehead and temples, her eyes were blown black and bleeding, streaks of red running down her cheeks. There was no hint of recognition or even acknowledgment in her eyes. She didn't seem to know they were there or that her spell had ceased.

"Dot!" Magnus had recognized her.

Her eyes flicked up to the back of her head, only the whites now visible, and she started convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Magnus let his magic drop and rushed to her side. Without his binds, she collapsed to the floor. He fell to his knees beside her and pulled her into his arms, sending a wave of magic over her body to confirm his suspicion.

"She's dead," he whispered to Alec, who had moved to his side and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You knew her?"

"Yes," He closed her eyelids and set her down carefully, "I've known her for many years. She vanished some time ago, and I thought she was dead... She must have been in Valentine's clutches the whole time. These are the effects of his experiments."

"I'm sorry," he said sympathetically. Magnus squeezed the hand on his shoulder and smiled gratefully.

"Looks like it's time for us to go home," he said, "I'll send her off." A wave of magic and her body disappeared.

"When we get home I think I'll take Izzy out for a facial. Maybe a pedicure too. Pretend this day didn't happen... for a little while." Magnus sounded defeated.

Alec didn't blame him.

**_4._ **

"I'll stay if you need me, you know that. The spa can wait until tomorrow."

Magnus must sense the storm raging in his mind, but Alec shook his head, "I'm okay. Go, you deserve it. Do you mind if I invite Jace over? I don't know if he'll be able to come, but..."

"Of course, Alexander. We'll be back in a few hours. Don't hesitate to call me if anything comes up, alright?"

"Will do. Go have fun."

Isabelle gave him a tight hug that he returned with equal fervour. She'd heard about what happened through a news show on TV but hadn't pressed for details upon seeing the look on his face. She and Magnus knew that giving him space and time would be the best way to help him process the events and didn't feel bad about leaving him for their own version of relaxation.

They exchanged their ' _I love you_ 's and stepped through the portal to... Japan? He hadn't really paid attention to the details.

Alec pressed the third speed dial option on his phone and waited out the ringing until Jace picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey." His lungs had been healed from his smoke inhalation, but his voice still came out a tad more low and gravelly than usual.

"Got her home safe and sound, pinky promise," Jace teased lightly, causing a smile to bloom on his lips.

"Thank you. She looked about ready to keel over, and I was worried she wouldn't make it home on her own."

"A good guess," Jace agreed, "Is everything alright?"

Alec didn't make random phone calls a habit.

"I, yeah, I'm fine, I was just wondering if... I know you're busy and all, but if you had time... Would you like to come by for a bit? With everything today I..."

"I'd like that," Jace interrupted gently, "Give me twenty minutes or so and I'll be there."

"Thanks." Alec completed the call and settled down in front of the TV to wait for Jace.

It took seventeen minutes.

They hadn't locked the door and Alec simply called him in, not wanting to move from his spot. He had wrapped his arms around his legs and curled into himself. His eyes were unfocused and fixed on the television. It was a desperate attempt to keep himself together, but that fell apart the moment Jace was at his side.

Jace didn't speak. He took a seat next to Alec and placed an arm around his shoulders in a comforting touch. His fingers brushed the back of his neck and rubbed in circles in a soothing manner.

"I don't understand, Jace." Alec's voice was watery and he held his hands in front of him simply to stare at them. " _Why_?"

"Don't torture yourself with trying to reason it out, Alec. There are no justifications to be done here."

"I know... And in my mind, I know that realistically there's nothing else I could have done, but that doesn't make it _better_." Alec dropped his hand and looked at Jace, eyes filled with tears and frustration, "The Shadowhunters here are going to overlook this, aren't they? They'll pretend this wasn't an attack on Downworlders and shove this under the rug."

Jace hesitated but had to sigh in resignation, "Likely, yes. Not-" Jace pressed before Alec could get further disheartened, "because they want to, but because they have to. If the Whitelaws pursued an investigation they would be pulled out of the Institute by the end of the week and replaced with Circle members. Trust me when I tell you that, despite how much I really dislike them, they're actually _good_ compared to our other options."

After a pause to mull over the words, Alec finally said, "It's not right."

"It really isn't." Jace agreed.

"They don't know how many... I was watching the news and the mundanes are saying it's likely something to do with the electrical and they don't have a number yet about how many..." He couldn't say it, not out loud.

Though the words weren't said, simply thinking about it grew too much. The tears finally hit him, and he didn't try to suppress them. Jace quietly took him in his arms and brought him to his chest to comfort him through it.

Alec couldn't remember the last time he'd cried, but he judged that the situation called for it and wouldn't allow himself to be embarrassed about it. Not that Jace seemed to mind. Actually, he seemed to understand.

Shadowhunters were meant to be strong and resilient, but Alec was no Shadowhunter. Not like Jace, not like the Whitelaws, and definitely not like the Circle. He would feel sympathy for those who were hurt, he would cry for them, and he would draw strength from it later.

They eventually fell asleep curled together on the couch, the TV on some random channel they had been paying mild attention to. Magnus and Isabelle's return woke Jace, but to Alec, it went unnoticed and they didn't disturb the resting boys.

In the end, it took two hours for the Children's Hospital of Southern New York to burn to the ground.

That first night was Alec's only restful night for the next several weeks when nightmares of fire and death would plague him endlessly.

In those nightmares, he was on his simple date with Jace and suddenly his golden hair and musical laughter would turn into grey smoke blocking out the light blue of an insultingly beautiful sky. There were flickering flames dancing around him as he heard the cries of children in pain and terror.

He would wake with a start and wish that the images flashing behind his eyelids were conjured up by his imagination rather than things he'd been forced to witness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry...?
> 
> The plot thickens! Please let me know your thoughts, I really appreciate all the comments and kudos I get for this story!


	10. And The Strikes Keep Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness. Thank you all so much for the positive feedback for the last chapter! You have no idea what it means to me to know that there are people out there looking forward to more of this story :) Please enjoy the following chapter and feel free to leave a message or kuddos :)

**_1._ **

"Okay, _what_ on earth is their problem with you? This is ridiculous, Jace!"

Alec applied a couple healing runes; seeing Jace hurt no longer drove him to full-blown panic and he could remember them easily. It was a wound to his side and the runes healed it within a few moments, but it was the fact that he was hurt in the first place that frustrated him.

It was not the first time he had commented on the Whitelaw children's complete disregard for Jace's life, and not the first time Jace ignored it.

"Well if they were always on my ass I wouldn't have so much time to spend with you, now would I? I consider myself the real winner here." Jace grinned through the pain as the wound healed completely.

Alec rolled his eyes and set his shirt back in place now that everything was back in order. He helped Jace stand and was satisfied to see no hints of pain.

"Whatever. You're sure the thing wasn't venomous?"

"Positive. But maybe I should keep you around to keep an eye on me, just in case."

"Mhm." Alec let Jace take his hand and step out into the street, dragging him somewhere or other. His phone began ringing, and he answered it without checking the caller I.D, "Hello?"

"Hello, Alexander." He recognized the calm and drawn out voice of a beloved friend.

"Oh, hi! How are you doing?" He asked politely, surprised to hear from him so suddenly.

"I'm well, little hunter. I tried calling Magnus, is he busy?"

"Yeah, he turned off his phone to work on some potion that requires seven hours of undisturbed silence. Did you need something? I'm not far from home."

"Oh, no, nothing really."

It was the words more than the tone, which was off on its own, that made Alec pause. Jace fell in beside him, keeping an eye on his face to gauge him as best as he could.

"Ragnor? What's going on?" Alec hadn't known him nearly as long as Magnus had, but it didn't take years to learn that Ragnor Fell didn't call people without reason.

"Being alone was not so bad... Until this instant." The words were mumbled and there was a shaky breath to follow.

"Stay right there. I'm getting Magnus, we'll be there in a few minutes. _Hold on_." With shaking hands he ended the call and put away his phone. He looked at Jace with eyes unfocused, "I-"

"Let's go," Jace said for him.

Alec didn't need to be told twice. His rune for speed flared to life as they made the run back to the loft to find Magnus. They had luckily not been far and he threw open the door, calling out to him with a tremor in his voice.

Despite being in deep concentration for his potion, Magnus would never miss a call for help from those he cared for. He rushed out of his workroom to find Alec at the entryway.

"What is it, Alexander?" He asked hurriedly, taking in his lack of composure with a quick once over.

"Ragnor. We have to get to Ragnor."

Magnus didn't need more information. He drew the necessary symbols for the portal with quick precision. It glowed blue as it activated and he stepped through without needing to tell Alec to follow.

They stepped into the library in Ragnor's home. Magnus was so focused on finding his friend that he didn't spot the demon lurking in the corner. Luckily Alec was close behind and did see it, pulling out his seraph blade and killing the small ravener demon with a fluidity he hadn't known a year prior.

Jace came in behind him, and the portal winked out of existence.

They found Ragnor leaning against the staircase leading up to the second floor of his house, a deep wound in his stomach typical to the type of demon they had already found loitering. There was a streak of blood from a few feet away from where he must have dragged himself to the stairs and the corded phone he had set into the wall there. It now hung off it's resting place, Ragnor not having the strength to return it after his phone call to Alec.

Magnus had no words, he simply fell into place next to his long-time friend and let his magic wash over him in an attempt to heal him.

Ragnor placed a hand on his to stop him, a weak smile on his lips, "Magnus, my old friend, it is good to see you one last time."

"No, no, no, _shut up!_ " Magnus' voice was growing shaky, and he resumed his healing.

Jace walked over to Alec, whispering, "I'll do a quick scout around, make sure there are no other demons."

Alec only nodded his understanding. He slipped in next to Magnus and gave him his hand.

"Take whatever you need."

Magnus had put five hours so far into that potion he'd been working on and the last thing he had expected was to need his magic for healing; something that required a lot of energy and which he hadn't put much time in learning intimately enough to do it effortlessly.

It pulled at the very center of his being and Alec opened himself to it, would give all his energy if it would save their friend. If the circumstances were different Magnus would be more cautious about using his energy, but his own emotional distress threw precaution to the wind.

"Goodnight, my friend." Ragnor's words were hushed, and once said his eyes slipped shut.

They would never open again.

It didn't stop Magnus from trying. His magic continued to pour out for a while longer until he eventually accepted the truth. His heart had stopped, the wound too deep and too old for healing, and his friend was dead. Magnus slumped against Alec, and they sat in a respectful silence for a couple of minutes.

They were both drained, similarly and differently all at once.

Alec's grip on his hand tightened.

Jace approached them, a hint of awkwardness in his steps as he hesitated to speak, but he decided he had no choice, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I found another couple of demons around. They seemed to be after this- " He held out a book to Magnus, "And I think we should be going before reinforcements arrive to get it."

Magnus let go of Alec's hand and reached out for the book with recognition in his eyes.

"What is that?" Alec asked.

"A very powerful spellbook, _The Book of the White_. Jace is right, we should go. They'll be coming to retrieve it any minute and we don't want to be here for that." Magnus had hardened himself once more, knowing he had to get them home safe before allowing himself time to grieve.

Magnus stood and began preparing another portal. Alec tried to stand as well, but his legs gave out and Jace managed to catch him before he could fall. Magnus noticed and halted his spell, joining Alec's side and brushing a gentle hand through his hair.

"I'm so sorry, Alec. I must have taken more energy from you than I thought."

"It's alright, it was worth it to know we tried our best, right? Let's just get home." Alec was leaning heavily on Jace, and Magnus left him there to finish his portal.

Once it flickered to life, he looked over at his friend with worry on his face, "I can't leave him here. They'll..." Alec wasn't sure he wanted to know what these people who killed their friend would do with his body.

Jace helped Alec over to Magnus and moved him so he was leaning on Magnus instead, "You help Alec through the portal. I'll get your friend."

Magnus smiled gratefully, holding the spellbook in one hand and his other wrapped around Alec to support him.

Alec looked over his shoulder to see Jace gently, more so than he had ever known him capable of, draw the body of their friend Ragnor Fell into his arms to carry him home. The portal led them into the living room of the loft and Magnus helped Alec sit in the nearest chair. Once Jace was through the portal it disappeared, and he deposited Ragnor on a nearby sofa to let Magnus decide what to do with him.

Magnus went to his friend's side to sit by him, taking some needed moments of silence for himself. Alec knew the silence was all he would need; at some point, the grief may have overtaken him, but by now he had already lost so much that one more, no matter how loved, was just another wound to the mess he'd already become.

Jace sat on the armrest of Alec's chair and pulled out his _stele_ to draw a quick stamina rune on Alec's arm to hopefully help him regain a bit of strength. Alec's smile was thankful, though the unshed tears in his eyes remained in place.

"Isabelle will be back from school soon," Alec commented aloud.

Magnus acknowledged his words but didn't move to take any form of action.

"Who?" Jace asked, keeping his voice low respectfully.

Alec met his confused gaze and remembered suddenly that Jace had never met his sister. Nor knew of her. It wasn't the time to be hiding things and so he explained, "Isabelle is my sister. I was meaning to say she probably shouldn't get home to this, but... honestly she'll probably handle it better than me."

Jace only nodded his understanding, knowing it wasn't the time for questions.

"Magnus, would you like me to call Cat for you? She'll want to be here."

Magnus looked over at him and nodded, a brief hint of relief crossing his features, "Yes, thank you, dear. And Raphael too if you can. They were good friends, you know. He'll want to know as well."

"Of course." Alec stood, the stamina rune taking effect and giving him the energy needed to be mobile on his own. He intended to go to another room to make the calls, wanting to make them in privacy, but first, he stepped over to Magnus. He wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly for a moment, hoping it would convey everything he couldn't say.

Magnus let out a shuddering breath and returned the hug, drawing strength from the comfort offered to him.

Once feeling that Magnus would be fine by himself for a few minutes, Alec drew back and left the room to call Catarina and Raphael, two people who cared for Ragnor as much as Magnus did.

They were not pleasant calls; he had no idea what to say or how to say it, but the message was given and both of them advised they would be over right away.

Catarina arrived in her uniform and let out a cry of grief at seeing the truth with her very own eyes.

Raphael wore a long cloak to cover his skin from the afternoon sun, and he sat stiffly on a chair with a hot fury emanating from his entire being.

"We don't know how they breached his wards, and we never will, but they seemed to be after _The Book of the White._ Probably the Circle; like always."

Magnus tried to explain what had happened as best as he could. They had little information, and with Ragnor dead a lot would remain a mystery.

"We'll give him a proper funeral as he deserves, and then we'll have to move on, Magnus. We can't fight this, trying will only bury us next to him." Catarina was the voice of reason though none of them liked the words; herself included.

"I know." He agreed reluctantly.

Alec wanted to intervene, wanted to ask - why not? Why not fight back? They would all be hunted down by the Circle eventually, why not at least die fighting?

He knew better, though. He knew how much they had lost already, and how much they would be risking. The idea of fighting seemed so pointless without a chance of winning. Now it was about surviving.

He wondered how long they would be able to survive.

**_2._ **

Isabelle took time to cry and sob at the loss of a beloved friend, but her fury drove her to ask aloud the questions her brother couldn't. Her intelligence and tact allowed her to make sure it was in a moment of privacy between the two of them.

"How can they feel that they have the right to decide who gets to live or die, Alec?" She asked, near hysterics.

"I don't know, Izzy."

After Alec had seen out Jace, who seemed hesitant to leave his side but eventually acquiesced, she dragged her brother to her bedroom to talk without disturbing their friends still mourning in the living room.

"It's not _fair_!"

"I know." He kept his answers short, filling in her silences, but allowing her to let out steam in the only way she could right now.

"Why don't we _do_ something? We could try fighting instead of sitting around waiting for them to come and murder us. I don't want to lose any more friends, big brother."

He held his arms out and she slid into the open space, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Her tears had no end in sight.

"Neither do I," he agreed.

"We're Shadowhunters, isn't it our job to fight bad guys? Let's make them scared instead for once."

"The idea is nice. The execution might be a bit messy though."

She let out a wet laugh.

"I suppose."

He kept her in his arms and they stayed like that in silence for a while, giving Isabelle time to calm herself.

"You know I won't let them hurt you-you or Magnus. They'll have to get through me first."

"I know. I just wish there was something more we could do."

"So do I, Izzy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry...?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> Sorry for it being a bit late - insert woop noises - I gots a pomoootion!! I've had a couple stressful weeks waiting for results now I'm very happy and very drunk and trying to proofread this for you super awesome human beings. Hope you enjoyed :) Next chappie is kind of a big one so look out for that one :)


	11. Hate Is Subjective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For you beautiful people, here is the next chappie a bit early!
> 
> This should be what a lot of you have been waiting for :)

Jace's issues, whatever they may be, with the Whitelaw children came to a head one day in a rather unpleasant manner.

"Come get your boyfriend _now_."

Alec didn't have time to say anything before Maia was hanging up on him. He stared at his phone for a confused moment before sighing heavily.

When he arrived at the Jade Wolf he was met with a lot of angry werewolves and a slightly beaten Jace. He seemed to have taken a few punches and there were definitely some claw marks on his arms. There was a stormy fury in his eyes that Alec didn't recognize.

"You're lucky that I showed up and caught your scent on him. He'd be dead otherwise." There was no hint of humour in her words.

The insinuation made him blush, though he knew it was likely Jace's leather jacket; something he wore often enough around Alec that it would catch his scent.

"What happened?" He asked.

The werewolves gave him space to walk over to Jace, and he looked him over slowly to take note of his wounds. He took out his _stele_ and started drawing a few healing runes on his arm.

"Fucking Eli," Jace snarled. If the look on his face wasn't already expressing his anger, the cursing would do the trick.

"What did he do this time?" Of course it would have something to do with the Whitelaws.

"Just... threw around some accusations."

Alec knew Jace wouldn't say anything else, at least not in front of the werewolves, and so he judged it best to leave the premises as quickly as possible.

"Thank you for calling me, Maia. I'll get him out of here."

"You should."

Alec gave Jace his hand and led him out of the restaurant to a chorus of growls and glares. There was no doubt in his mind that Maia had told the truth; they certainly seemed more than willing to rip his throat out if given the chance. Whatever Elijah had said had hit a nerve among the werewolves, and Alec wondered if he could fix the damage done.

Once there was some distance between them and the restaurant, Alec turned to Jace, not willing to get any further without some form of explanation.

"What happened, Jace?" His tone held no room for Jace to try and get out of the conversation.

"It was Eli, the prick. Started saying that I... It was a lie, obviously, but the werewolves heard which was exactly what he'd planned, and he bailed leaving me alone with an angry pack. It was looking pretty bad until that girl showed up. She called them off once she figured out I was the boyfriend she had heard so much about." Jace's lips quirked into a smile, trying to tease though the blood on his chin from his split lip broke the illusion.

Alec crossed his arms and refused to let his words affect him, "What did Eli say that would anger an entire pack?"

Jace deflated, accepting that he had no choice other than to admit the truth, "He said I had a hand in harming a werewolf family some time ago. It's not true; I had no part in it, but the pack had no issues believing it and the results of that go without saying." He made a vague gesture towards himself.

"And _why_ would he say something like that?"

"Because I'm the outsider and they don't trust me. I don't blame them for that, not really, but this was just..."

"The attempts on your life have gotten out of hand, Jace. It was tolerable when they were simply being neglectful, but purposely putting you in harm's way is _wrong_."

"I... yeah."

"You didn't really explain why they want you dead though. Not trusting you is one thing, but your life? It seems excessive."

"We're at war, no one trusts anyone anymore and getting rid of potential threats is actually a sound option right now. You haven't seen the inner workings of Shadowhunter politics. Right now it's a total mess."

"I suppose," Alec had to agree to that point, even if it still seemed strange, "I'm glad you're alright though."

"Me too. Would have been a shame for you to have to explain to your friends how they ate your boyfriend," Jace resumed his teasing without a moment's hesitation now that the tension had cleared.

"Think I would have managed," Alec drawled, rolling his eyes as he always did around Jace, "Do you want to spend the night at my place? I assume you'll want some time away from them. Magnus won't mind."

"Ah, actually that'd be great," Jace agreed sheepishly. "Right now I can't trust that Eli won't try and smother me in my sleep. I'll pop in at the Institute to grab some stuff; only Rachel's there right now. Wanna come with?"

"To the Institute?"

"Yeah."

"Um, sure." Alec was hesitant to get near the place, but if only Rachel was there then he should be alright. She was Eli's mother and a respectable Head of Institute. It was the children that caused trouble.

Alec refused to step foot into the building though, despite Jace's insistence that it was fine. He waited near the rundown church and in this time he shot off a text to Magnus to let him know of their guest; his response was neutral. He seemed to have warmed to Jace in their shared time and was mostly indifferent to him now.

"Magnus wants to know if you like Ethiopian food," Alec asked as Jace returned to his side with an overnight bag and changed from the bloody and dirty clothes he’d previously been sporting.

"I have no idea what that is. Does Magnus ever eat like, pizza or something?"

Alec laughed, "Every once in a while, but when you live for centuries you grow a taste for the finer things. At least that's what he says."

"I suppose I can give it a try if it's being recommended by a true connoisseur." Jace bumped their shoulders together with a grin on his lips and stepped by him, expecting and knowing he would follow.

Magnus and Isabelle were both home when they arrived. There were fresh takeout boxes waiting for them and the loft smelt delicious. They had been discussing dinner arrangements when Alec got the call from Maia, and he had forgotten his own hunger until it suddenly smacked him in the face.

They gathered around the kitchen table to eat.

Alec was hesitant to call it comfortable, not certain if he wanted to link his family and Jace together in that kind of memory, but it was undeniably the truth.

He had eventually found the time to tell Jace more about his sister after the impromptu introduction on that less than pleasant day. It was nice finally being able to share more stories without having to omit the person he loved most in the world and even nicer to see the two of them laughing and chatting together amicably.

Magnus met his gaze and smiled softly as if knowing exactly what he was thinking. He probably did.

Alec and Magnus cleared off the table and Jace and Isabelle went to sit in the living room while they did so. Isabelle put on some sort of crime-fighting show she deemed suitable for the whole family, and she and Jace spent their time criticizing every moment of it.

Magnus took the opportunity, the one he had mostly orchestrated, to approach Alec with a teasing smile and remark, “That boy has no idea how smitten you are, does he?”

“What are you talking about?” he replied automatically, not bothering to work through the words on their own.

“Does he know you return his feelings?”

Magnus was always straightforward about things, Alec generally appreciated that, but now didn’t seem like the time for this sort of conversation. Jace was hardly a room away and Alec didn’t need him to hear any of this, but it was very much like Magnus to address the matter on his mind whether or not it seemed the appropriate time.

Alec shrugged, glancing at Jace to make sure he hadn’t heard, and he spotted the familiar sheen in the air indicating that Magnus had placed a field around them to keep their conversation private. It seemed he really wanted to have this discussion.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Magnus cleaned the dishes magically one by one and handed them to Alec to put away, “What’s keeping you?”

“I don’t know,” Alec mumbled, settling on his tiptoes to reach the highest shelf. Magnus sometimes forgot that not everyone was as tall as he was. Even after his last growth spurt, he didn’t quite manage to have his same reach.

“You know that Isabelle and I have no problems with him, right? He might be an arrogant Shadowhunter and a horrible flirt, but he obviously cares about you.”

“I suppose, but I’d rather focus on my priorities right now. I don’t have time for that sort of thing,” Alec said. It was true that Jace was still flirty, but otherwise, he had drawn back on any obvious advances as he clearly sensed that Alec was not in the same place he was.

“And what might those priorities be?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

Magnus sighed and put down the plate he was holding to face Alec. He placed a gentle hand on his cheek and urged him to meet his gaze, “I know your training is important, Alexander, but you shouldn’t push aside a relationship that could grow into something really special because you feel as though you need to protect the world. That is _not_ your priority, nor your duty.”

“I intend to be able to protect my family,” Alec said fiercely, “And Jace understands that.”

“I have no doubt that he does,” Magnus agreed, keeping his tone soft for Alec’s sake, “but the world won’t end if you decide to indulge yourself just this once.”

“There’ll be time for that later.”

As much as Magnus wanted to push this further, and he really _really_ wanted to, he didn’t waste the energy. There was no changing Alec’s mind; if he got anything from his Lightwood genetics it was his absolute stubbornness. With a weary look in his eyes, he merely nodded in acknowledgment of Alec’s words and resumed cleaning the dishes.

The bubble around them faded as Magnus let his magic drop, and the sound of the television filled the air around them. Isabelle entered the kitchen area to grab a couple glasses of juice for her and Jace, and she eyed them suspiciously but kept quiet on the matter.

Alec’s gaze trailed after her, watching as she sat on the sofa next to Jace and moved to hand him a glass.

Sometimes he wondered if he was being unfair to Jace. It was true that there was something there; what that was exactly he wasn’t certain, but taking the time to explore it wasn't something he deemed of the utmost importance in this time of war. His friends were being attacked and killed; his priorities right now had to be about keeping those close to him safe rather than for his own desires. In his heart of hearts, he knew Jace truly understood that being a child of war just as he was, but whether that was enough for him he didn’t know.

Would he eventually decide it wasn’t worth staying in this standstill between friendship and more without a promise of anything changing?

Alec could only hope that Jace would be satisfied with what he could give him at this time. Jace was arrogant, that was true, he knew his talents and his skills and was proud of them in obvious ways, but he was kind and compassionate and didn’t seem like the kind of person who would stick around so long if he was only looking for sex.

His smile was fond as he watched two of his favourite people interact. He managed to hold back his laughter as he spotted Chairman Meow leap onto Isabelle’s lap and knock the glass she was handing over to Jace out of her hand, the pink contents splattering all over his front. Jace had luckily taken off his favourite leather jacket upon entering the apartment, leaving only his black t-shirt to be soiled.

Alec left the kitchen and walked over to them. He leaned against the back of the couch and stared down at Jace and the mess, reaching down with one hand to pet their cat behind the ears, “Tsk tsk, Chairman, look what you’ve done.” There was laughter in his tone, and he ignored the glare Jace was sending his way.

“Sorry about that,” Isabelle apologized, grabbing a couple tissues out of the box they kept on a nearby stand and passing them over to him to dry off as best as possible.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”

“Got an extra shirt in your bag?” Alec asked, already heading towards the front door where Jace had thrown his duffel bag to the side once they'd arrived.

“Yeah, thanks.” Jace’s voice was muffled as he slipped out of his current shirt.

Alec knelt in front of the bag and unzipped it, searching its contents to find a replacement shirt. As he dug into the bag in a blind search his hand rubbed against something metallic, and his curiousity caused him to take hold of it and pull it out of the bag. Normally he wouldn’t go snooping in someone else’s things, but the movement happened so quickly that he didn’t process the fact he should leave it be as it wasn’t his place to be taking out anything other than his intended item.

In his hand, he held a pair of handcuffs. He frowned in confusion, not quite certain why Jace would have them as it wasn’t like Shadowhunters had a habit of arresting people, but he looked over it and his hands shook in realization.

Maybe he wasn’t sticking around out of kindness or compassion after all.

Alec slipped the item in the front pocket of his sweater, it was oversized and had more than enough room to conceal it without anyone being able to spot it. He took out the shirt he had initially been searching for and straightened himself, steeling his face to avoid anything showing too obviously.

He walked back to Jace and handed him the shirt. He couldn’t manage to force a smile, but Jace didn’t seem to notice, too busy getting changed.

Once Jace had slipped on the clean shirt Alec nudged at him, inciting him to stand, “Me and Jace are going for a walk. Be back in a bit.” He didn’t give Jace a chance to respond, grabbing his arm and guiding him to the door. His words were terse, and it was obvious to Isabelle and Magnus that something was up, but they simply accepted his statement and let him deal with it on his own terms.

Jace hesitated slightly, more confused than anything, “Wait, what? Sure, I guess…?” He let Alec pull him out the front door, a quick glance back at Isabelle to see if she understood, but her face remained neutral and unsympathetic. He shrugged and followed Alec’s lead.

Alec lead him outside the building and down the alley next door, not wanting to be so visibly in public, but neither having the patience to go any further. He stopped in the middle of the alley and let go of Jace, taking a couple steps away to put some space between them. Hopefully, it would facilitate breathing, as he was currently finding it rather difficult.

“Are you okay?” Jace asked, hand outstretched as if wanting to touch him, but also hesitant like he wasn’t certain he was allowed to do so.

Alec barked a laugh, cold and unpleasant for both of them, “No, no I’m not okay, Jace.” He reached into his pocket for the handcuffs and pulled them out, the metal digging into his palm with how tightly he was holding onto them, “Why the fuck do you have this _thing_ in your bag?”

It was Jace’s turn to take a couple steps back, and he found himself pressed against the dirty brick wall and his mouth open in shock. He had no reply.

“Was it always about getting to Magnus? What do you want with him? I swear to god, Jace, and to your fucking angel that if you try to hurt him you’ll have to kill me first,” Alec snarled, more rage in him at that moment than he could ever remember feeling. There was betrayal there too, but he preferred focusing on the rage.

“I can explain, Alec, please-“ Jace’s voice was shaking, and he was holding his hands out in front of him in a gesture of peace.

Alec had been an angry youth, towards himself and the world, and he remembered the pressure in his jaw and the heat in his veins as his heart would beat viciously. His hands would tremble and his cheeks would grow red and it was a feeling he thought he’d left behind himself years ago once he’d learned to accept the world for what it was. Shitty wars and misplaced hatred included. All of that boiled inside him now, except this time his eyes were burning with unshed tears; more a symptom of the betrayal rather than the anger, but it only served to frustrate him even further.

Such intense anger, unfortunately, made him slightly irrational and he cut Jace off before he could get the chance to speak, “It was always about this, wasn’t it? Were these last few weeks just a lie, just a ploy for you to get to Magnus? I can’t believe this, Jace, I thought you were more than this, I thought you were _better_ than the other Shadowhunters! But you’re not, you’re just like the rest of them.” His voice cracked with emotion; somehow he kept the tears at bay.

“I… I know it looks bad, and you’re not super wrong about it, but I can explain! Just give me two minutes, hear me out, and then if you want me gone I’ll make sure you never see me again.” Jace took a step towards him and Alec drew back; he didn’t think Jace would attack him, but neither did he think he could trust his own judgment right now.

Alec didn’t believe there was any way to explain the situation away; there were only so many uses for magic-suppressing handcuffs, after all. His protective instincts told him to make Jace leave, return to his family, and get them all as far away from New York as possible within the hour. The part of him that was fond and smitten with Jace begged him to give him the two minutes he’d requested.

“Were these meant for Magnus?” he asked before deciding to make up his mind.

There was a moment of hesitation, but Jace knew that the truth was the only way to handle the situation, “Yes. Not for today or anything. I forgot they were in the bag, or else I wouldn’t have…”

“Then I’m not the person you need to explain this to. Whether I forgive you or not is irrelevant, since I wasn’t the person you were looking to hurt in the first place. If I - if we mean anything to you, you'll come inside with me and explain all of this to Magnus directly. If not then... I suppose if you intend to follow through on this then I can't really stop you. We both know you're the better fighter, but I can assure you I won't make it easy."

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Alec, I could never-“

“A little late for that.”

The harshness in his tone made Jace take a shuddering breath, the words cutting deeper than any blade could, “Of course I’ll go inside and explain everything to all of you.” His words fell out with the tone of a defeated man.

There was a breath of silence as the moment settled, Alec’s rage slowly calming into a less uncontrolled storm. He put the handcuffs back in his pocket and did his best not to look at the runes etched into the metal, glaring proof that maybe he should have trusted Magnus’ initial impression of Jace.

He knew he was being too easy on him; if it had been anyone else he wouldn’t have wasted the effort of listening to their excuses, but he wasn’t always rational when it came to Jace and he’d learned that the day they’d met.

“Okay… okay.” Alec agreed. It had been his own proposition but he hadn’t been fully convinced that Jace would agree. “Let’s go.”

Alec instructed Jace to walk ahead and he followed him back into the apartment. He debated on the best course of action to take but decided that being straightforward on the matter was the only way. When they stepped through the door it quickly became obvious to Magnus and Isabelle that something was amiss and they were quick to mute the television and direct their attention towards them.

Jace lingered by the door with his hands shoved in his pockets looking more awkward and uncomfortable than Alec had ever seen him. There was a sense of satisfaction that he chose not to dwell on.

“What is it, Alexander?” Magnus asked gently, but his posture grew stiff as a result of the tense atmosphere that suddenly suffocated the room. Isabelle had been laying with her feet in Magnus’ lap and now she sat up with her back pressed to the headrest to be able to see them better.

“Jace here has something he needs to share.” His tone was bitter, and it was easily caught by his family judging by the unease he could see in their eyes. Alec gestured to a nearby armchair and Jace acquiesced to the unspoken order by sitting down and placing his hands in his lap. His gaze flickered between his own shoes and Alec. Neither of which were sympathetic to his cause.

Alec stepped across the room and found his own armchair to sit on. Over the years Isabelle had shown a love for having various positions in which to do her homework and because Magnus spoiled her far too much they now had various kinds of couches and chairs in a semi-circle around their television. He didn’t like that both Magnus and Isabelle were between him and Jace, but he felt it was the best place to be to have the best view of everyone in the room, and he would take the compromise.

Isabelle, being as curious as she always was, looked at Jace in anticipation. Magnus, on the other hand, was hesitant to look away from Alec who was clearly distressed, but eventually, he too turned to Jace to wait for whatever it was that needed to be said.

It was Alec that broke the silence, "I decided that you two should hear whatever excuses he can come up with for having this in his possession." He took out the handcuffs and tossed them on the coffee table as if presenting evidence in a case. He settled back against the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

He almost felt childish, but he was also so _angry_ he couldn't bring himself to care.

The weapon, as there was no way to look at it otherwise, was soon enveloped by a blue sheen of magic. Magnus lifted it and snapped his fingers to make it disappear, "Suppose you won't mind me putting that far, far away," he drawled, his expression not conveying any of his thoughts.

"Of course not," Jace mumbled in response though it hadn't been a question.

Alec saw the devastation on his sister's face, and he wondered if he ought to have gone about this differently.

"It's..." Jace started and the air stilled into perfect silence as they all listened to what he'd have to say, "It's mostly what it looks like, I'll be honest. Those were intended for-" He made a vague gesture towards Magnus, "But I wasn't actually going to... You see, I'm sort of with the Circle - but not _with_ them! I mean, I was supposed to come here to get to Magnus on their orders, but I didn't intend to actually go through with it. Shit, I'm making a right mess of this. Let me start over."

A deep breath.

"I was raised in the Circle. My parents were members and I didn't have much of a choice. I never really saw eye to eye on their stances and caused a lot of trouble growing up, but after my parents died and Valentine took me in it got more out of hand. The last straw was when I ruined one of his undercover operations, and he decided to send me out here on a suicide mission. I'm meant to be out here capturing Magnus, but..." He made a vague gesture with his hand to indicate their current situation.

"What do they want with Magnus?" Isabelle asked, a trace of fear lacing her words.

"Valentine's wife, Jocelyn Fairchild, disappeared years ago with the Mortal Cup. He found her a couple months ago, but she took a potion which put her in some sort of coma in an attempt to hide its location. He's hoping that you might be able to wake her up. That's also why he was looking for _The Book of the White;_  he's assuming the antidote might be in there. I swear I didn't know that he'd found out where it was... If I'd known I would have said something."

"The Mortal Cup is the thing that makes new Shadowhunters, right?" Isabelle directed this towards Magnus. Not because she thought Jace wouldn't, or couldn't, answer, but mostly out of habit of asking him anything where she thought she should already know the answer and was embarrassed about asking in the first place.

"That's right."

"The warlocks in his control have had no luck in curing her so far, and their daughter Clary is there too, but it seems that Jocelyn never shared the location of the Cup as she gave up nothing to the Mortal Sword."

"So you were sent here to kidnap Magnus to make him heal this woman?" Alec said out loud, almost sounding like a question but mostly he was recapitulating to make sure he fully understood, "Why did you call it a suicide mission?"

"No one in their right mind would go one on one with Magnus in his home turf, even a well-trained Shadowhunter wouldn't take the risk," Jace responded in a tone that indicated it was rather obvious. "I'm here to capture Magnus or die trying, and the odds are leaning heavily on the dying bit."

"And why would Valentine send you here to die? You said you messed up one of his missions or something, but that seems excessive."

"It was a series of screw-ups on my end; that mission was just the last straw. He realized he couldn't change me and rather than kill me he figured I could at least try and be useful first."

"Is there anyone that isn't out to kill you?" Alec asked with an edge of bitterness to his words.

"Hopefully you?" Jace quipped with the start of a grin on his lips as if unsure he could fully be at ease yet.

"Mhm." Alec hummed noncommittally.

"What was the mission that you messed up?" Isabelle asked curiously, albeit a little tactlessly.

Jace hesitated for a brief moment, years of training in the Circle had enforced the idea of keeping everything Circle-related secret and divulging information about a mission was completely against his upbringing. Yet the point of all this was to prove he wasn't one of them, and so he relented.

"If you didn't already know, Valentine likes to frame Downworlders for crimes they had nothing to do with; that were likely actually committed by Valentine himself. And he also likes to take the law into his own hands despite having most of the Council doing his bidding. This ultimately leads him to ordering Circle members to, ah, ' _take care_ ' of those he's framed. He wanted me and a group to get rid of a werewolf family he'd located in France."

"Would this be the werewolf family Eli almost got you killed over just a few hours ago?" It felt so long ago now, but in reality, it had only been a few hours since he'd gotten a call from Maia asking him to pick up Jace at the Jade Wolf after a fight that the Whitelaw child had caused.

"Ah... yes. That's the one. Although I promise I didn't lie; I really had nothing to do with hurting them. I ditched the group early on and got there first to let the family know what was going on and to help them escape. The parents asked me to take their two kids away while they stayed behind. I wanted them to leave too, but... They said it would give us more time, and they were hoping that their lives would be enough for Valentine to back off a bit. Of course, once the mission was over I denied ever leaving the group, but Valentine already knew what I'd done and that was that and here I am."

While biting her lip out of stress Isabelle asked, "And the two kids?"

"Last I heard they were somewhere safe."

The room fell into silence after those words. There didn’t seem to be much more to say, and Jace clearly felt there wasn’t anything he could add to his case. Everything he could say was there, now whether they chose to believe it was up to them.

Magnus was the next to speak and he asked his own question, “Jace, who were your parents?”

Jace looked startled at the question for a moment, but he was quick to compose himself once he realized that it was highly possible that Magnus had actually known his parents, “Stephen and Céline Herondale.”

“The Herondale’s...” Maybe his liaison with Alec was not so surprising after all; history certainly had a way of repeating itself, “It was Valentine’s doing, wasn’t it?”

It was vague, but Jace understood the allusion, “Yes. It was a setup. He led them to a vampire nest and left them for dead. No one else saw it that way though.”

"They've gotten very good at ignoring those sort of things," Magnus said.

Alec leaned forward in his seat and stared at Jace with distrust still written all over his face, "So you decided that, ehh, maybe I won't do what this psychopath asks me to do, and you just won't try and kidnap Magnus?"

"Well... yes."

"And why would we believe that?" The issue was that Alec already believed him, and he couldn't figure out if he was right to do so or if he was being drawn in by more lies and what he wanted to be real. He tried to gauge by what he could see on Magnus and Isabelle's faces, but it wasn't as telling as he wanted.

Isabelle was her usual curious self, any belief or lack thereof overtaken by her incessant desire to know more. As for Magnus, he was calm and expressionless as was his usual default in difficult situations.

"Because-" Jace said before he'd really thought over his response, and cut himself off for a brief moment before continuing, "I suppose that's up to you at this point, there's nothing else I can say here."

The simplicity of his answer only frustrated him more, though he couldn't rationalize why.

Alec stood abruptly from his seat, "I'm going out for some air."

His mind couldn't fully wrap around everything that was happening, and he'd been taught by Magnus over the years that rather than simply get angry, he would do well to step away from the situation and try to clear his mind before facing it again in a refreshed state; that's what he was doing now. Anger was the easy route, now he needed to focus, and he couldn't do that with Jace in front of him.

He left the room and its three other occupants.

Jace stared after him with a wistful look in his eyes then turned his attention back to Magnus and Isabelle.

"I'm... so sorry, for all this. I..." He wanted to be as sincere as possible, but he couldn't help himself from glancing towards the hall where Alec had left them and was certain his words weren't coming off the way he intended.

"Go on," Magnus said, lips quirking into the hint of a smile.

"What?"

"You can go on after him if you like. I won't stop you."

Jace was standing to leave before Magnus had fully finished his sentence but hesitated long enough to ask, "You... trust me to do that?"

"Yes, I do. I happen to remember you handing me, completely unprompted, the spellbook that Valentine desperately wants. I can't fathom why you would have done that if you had any loyalty towards him. Getting that back would be far too much of a hassle." Magnus continued with a sigh, "Alec is... young. You're both so young. Go talk to him and sort this out."

It was a definitive statement, and Jace took it for what it was.

"Thank you." Which was more sincere than anything else he could say.

Jace followed Alec's path and headed towards the balcony. He was assuming it was the most likely place for him to be hiding out from the few times he'd been to their home and had the chance to explore. With trepidation, he opened the sliding door and stepped outside. They were on the second story of the building and there was a nice view of the busy New York streets below. It was fully glamoured and no one would be able to see them.

Predictably, he found Alec bent forward with his elbows resting on the metal railing looking out into the streets. His back was to him, and he didn't turn around as he let out a small sigh that indicated he was aware of his presence. Whether he knew if it was Jace or not, he wasn't sure.

"Hey," Jace said tentatively.

They were never unsure with each other. From the first time they'd met, even when they were both hiding secrets, they knew exactly where they stood with each other. This sudden tension made his skin crawl.

Jace hadn't expected Alec to reply but was pleasantly surprised to hear a greeting in response. Alec turned around to face him and leaned back against the railing. He looked tired.

He didn't speak.

Jace walked towards him and leaned on the railing next to him, looking up at the darkening sky as if hoping for answers to questions he didn't know to ask in the first place. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Alec was pointedly not looking at him.

"I wanted to tell you after I knew for sure that you were the Lightwood boy. I thought it would be the right thing to do; a secret for a secret, you know? But... I stalled, and I stalled, and then with what happened at the hospital I - I couldn't bear the idea that you might look at me like, well, the way you looked at me today." Jace smiled bitterly, "I don't want you to think of me as one of those people who hurt you and the people you love time and time again. I was a coward, I know that now. I should have told you, but I..." He cut himself off, as there was no way to further that thought. He should have; that was all there was to it.

Alec looked up at the sky and took in a deep breath to calm himself. Although he was no longer angry, it helped to soothe the residual shaking caused by such an emotional overload. The quiet drew on as he continued to think about everything he'd learned and been told that day.

He doubted he would have reacted much better no matter when he would have found out the truth.

"Magnus and Izzy trust you, they wouldn't have let you up here otherwise." It was known that their opinion was of the utmost importance to Alec and would be the biggest influence in his decision.

But... "What about you? Forget how Izzy and Magnus feel about it. When it's just me and you and all this fucked up baggage, do you trust me?"

Alec paused for a moment.

He let out a heavy sigh and turned back around while doing so took a step closer to Jace to press their shoulders together.

_I never stopped trusting you and I don't know why_ , Alec thought with genuine bewilderment.

He kept that to himself, but did respond, "Yes, I trust you."

While looking ahead he moved a hand outwards and slightly towards Jace, the motion enough to catch his attention. Jace looked down at his hand and let out a quivering breath as Alec held out his pinky to him. He met his gaze and Alec smiled softly.

"No more secrets," he said.

Jace's joy and relief were blinding as his smile brightened his eyes, "Yeah. No more secrets." He agreed, reaching out to link their pinky's in a promise.

They left their fingers entwined as a comfortable silence fell upon them, and eventually Jace let go of his pinky to slip his hand beneath Alec's to hold his hand properly.

They shared a smile and to pull back from the rising tension between them as he was not quite ready for whatever that entailed, Alec asked, "So, what is your big plan? If you aren't capturing Magnus or getting killed, what do you plan to do?"

Jace laughed, "I didn't get very far in the planning stages, to be honest. Sit back and hope Valentine forgets about me is the main idea."

"And how's that going for you?"

"Pretty shit. I got a message from him a couple weeks ago, I think he's getting annoyed that I haven't been dealt with yet."

"Well, you'll be safe here. Me and Isabelle have been in hiding for years, we're pretty good at it. And have you considered telling the Whitelaws? It'd be better if they weren't _also_ trying to kill you."

"Where would I be without my gallant knight, hm?" Jace teased, happy to be able to do so freely again, but he let out a sigh at the mention of the Whitelaws, "There's nothing I could say to them that would convince them of my innocence. I don't blame them, not really."

"...I suppose." Alec had to agree. With the information they had at their disposal, all of their past behaviours made sense, even if Alec didn't agree to the lengths to which they'd gone to try and get Jace killed.

"Ever since my parents died my big plan has always been to kill Valentine. A bit ambitious, sure, but it gave me something to work for, to live for. I guess now I can focus on that. It's another suicide mission, but at least I could say that I tried."

"Got anything worked out for that plan?" The question was a drawl lacking any real curiousity as Alec couldn't imagine that going very well.

Ambitious was an understatement. Alec didn't want to know how many people had had the same idea and were now dead. He didn't want to think about Jace trying anything so stupid.

"Nope. Need more people, need more strength, and need a plan that doesn't suck."

Alec wanted to tell him it was a horrible idea to start with but knew Jace wouldn't take it well. They were still fragile, and Jace was opening up to him, shoving his fears onto him would not be helpful at this point, nor would it make a difference.

"I'm sure he'll still be there whenever you figure something out."

"And what about you? Got any big plans of your own?" Jace asked.

"Ah... Just keep my family alive, I guess." He shrugged. Isabelle talked about the future all the time, where she'd like to study, where she'd hope to get a job, those sort of things. Alec couldn't think like that. With the world feeling so close to ending he could hardly think past tomorrow let alone about the future.

"Hmm... I'm not sure that counts as a plan, it's more like... your permanent state of existence."

Alec chuckled, "I suppose that's true. I don't really know how to be anything else."

"There's nothing you couldn't be, Alec Lightwood, if you set your mind to it."

"Are you trying to woo me, Jace Herondale?" Alec met his gaze with only the hint of a humble blush on his cheeks.

"Only if it's working." Jace grinned at him, a sweet serenity falling between them now that trust had been reestablished and strengthened by truth.

There was a sparkle in his eyes, and Alec felt his breath catch as he saw how much closer Jace seemed all of a sudden when he hadn't moved at all. "Alright, alright, let's get going, Casanova." Alec stepped away from the railing and with their hands joined he started leading Jace back inside.

Jace didn't seem fazed by him pulling away, he never looked like he minded though Alec was never truly certain, and he followed after Alec easily with his lips stretched into the most gentle smile.

The shift in their relationship was almost imperceptible, but a barrier they hadn't known was there had been shattered and the thing between them that had brought them together so bindingly only grew stronger.

"What's a Casanova?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is a lot of questions answered and I hope this was satisfying to all you curious folks out there :)
> 
> Please leave a comment with your thoughts, I always love hearing from you!


	12. Cottage By The Lake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all had a lovely week and maybe some fun Halloween parties over the weekend :)
> 
> Enjoy this chappie!

**1.**

It was Magnus' idea. Isabelle had just finished her junior year of high school, and he thought that with the stress of the last few months they deserved a family vacation. He extended the invitation out to Jace as a show of trust. If it also happened to make Alec very happy then that was just a bonus.

The idea itself had been a camping trip; the best way to get away from a city full of people and demons. Of course, Magnus would not actually sleep in a tent of all things, and so he located a beautiful cottage off a little lake with neighbors too far to see that he 'rented' for a few weeks. He didn't know how much time they'd have before the real world would call them back, whether his own or the Shadowhunter's, but didn't want to feel pressed for time either.

Isabelle readily agreed to it and immediately started packing her books and clothes in her red and black polka-dotted suitcase. Alec had his reservations about leaving when things were so tense, and if he said no he knew they'd stay home, but he wouldn't deny them this trip when they needed it most.

Magnus would give them anything in the world; he'd gift-wrap the moon for them if he could and he rarely sat back to think on himself, and Alec knew this was finally a call towards his own needs. With the loss of one of his dearest friends and the vicious attacks on his people, this was his way of regaining some semblance of normalcy and humanity again in a world so grim.

"It's a great idea, Magnus. When do we leave?"

New York could handle their absence for a little while.

"Isabelle's packing and Jace said he'd be here by five."

"Jace? You invited Jace?"

Magnus grinned and shrugged, "Isabelle and I will be incredibly busy sunbathing, and I figured you could use something to occupy your time with."

Alec rolled his eyes at the description, but he couldn't help the smile on his lips and in his words, "You always think of everything, don't you?"

"I try."

"Thank you," he stepped into his space and wrapped him in a brief hug, "I think this'll be good for all of us."

"Here's to hoping."

When Alec stepped back he saw a glimmer of sadness behind the smile before he forced it back into its usual vacancy. A well-earned vacation indeed.

Packing for Alec was a simple matter which was why Magnus hadn't given him much warning about their plans. It didn't take long after Jace arrived for all of them to be ready and for Magnus to open the portal that would drop them near the cottage.

Alec had no idea where they were, he hadn't thought to ask, but it was the most beautiful place he had ever seen in person. And he was living with _Magnus Bane_. The cottage itself was not as extravagant as he would have expected, but it was two-stories of rustic elegance and the lake was a kilometer across of crystal blue with a large forest on the opposite shore. He could see chimney smoke somewhere further down the lakeside, but its source was hidden away by trees.

It was quaint, and he loved it instantly.

He and Isabelle had grown up in big cities their whole lives; there may be more demons, but it was easier to survive in the mundane world that way. This was a whole new experience for them, and they were looking forward to living the quiet lifestyle for a little while.

It was large enough that they all had their own bedrooms and settling in was simply a matter of dumping their bags on the beds and meeting back outside to sit by the firepit for hours. None of them could gather the energy to be productive, and so Magnus magicked the fire and summoned them food to keep them from getting up more than necessary. The magical properties of the fire didn't prevent Jace from throwing in wood every so often to get a taste of genuity from it.

Also, roasted marshmallows were a horribly messy business when being handled by children, as Magnus affectionately called them.

"I'm going to head to bed. There's no curfew or anything, but be reasonable, okay?" Magnus dropped a kiss on Alec and Isabelle, "I love you."

"Love you too," they called back.

He gave Jace's arm a squeeze in passing and a gentle, "Goodnight." Which, honestly? He'd take what he could get from the person he'd been ordered to kill and who had somehow been able to see past that and trust him anyway. It was more than he expected from any of them.

"Goodnight," he said softly.

With Magnus out of sight, Isabelle stood from her seat and settled into her brother's lap, unzipping his hoodie and shoving her arms inside to gain some heat. Alec knew it was mostly an excuse for proximity.

"I'm really happy Magnus thought about this. I think it'll do him a lot of good. He looks sad when he thinks we can't see."

Alec wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly; she was small compared to him, but she was fifteen now and likely beyond any further growth spurts, "He's gone through a lot." He agreed with her, but there wasn't much he could say on the matter. As much as he loved Magnus he had no idea how to help in such a difficult time.

"We should do something for him."

"Mm." Alec kicked his feet up on the edge of the pit, a small brick wall around the fire to keep it from spreading, and settled further back into the seat to be more comfortable, "I think this is exactly what he needs. Be your usual charming self and keep him company, and he'll be just fine."

"I hope so."

Alec looked over her shoulder towards Jace, a bit mindful that this wasn't really a conversation he could partake in, and found him watching them with a soft smile that Alec quickly returned.

It had been two weeks since Jace had told them his truth and other than the initial outburst it didn't cause much of a change. He'd spoken to both Magnus and Isabelle in private afterward and they had both reassured him that they did, in fact, trust Jace and believed his intentions to be good.

"Do you think it'll be okay for me to go to Queens?" Isabelle was referring to the University she'd been looking into, "It's so far from home..."

"We have another year until then, Izzy. Besides, you don't need to worry about us. We'll be just fine. We're the ones who're going to be worrying about you every day."

"But what if something happens? I'll be so far, it'll take me forever to get home."

"You'll never be too far from us, Izzy." He squeezed her and kissed her hair; it was a reminder of their mother and one of the few things that could soothe her instantly. "How about you head off to bed? You'll be up early enough to make him breakfast."

She brightened instantly, "I can totally do that! I can make you guys breakfast too."

"Don't you worry about us, we'll be alright," he said earnestly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine. Have a good night, see you in the morning." She kissed his cheek and unwrapped herself from around him. She stepped over to Jace who was just a couple feet away and leaned down to kiss his cheek too, "Goodnight!"

He kept an eye on her until he saw her step inside, and then he turned his full attention to Jace and found him standing from his seat. He watched him curiously for a moment before catching on that he was simply dragging his own chair closer to Alec's. Jace set the chair down as close as possible and sat back down with a bright smile in place.

"No need to shout now is there?" Jace teased and was rewarded with an eye roll.

"Obviously."

Jace curled himself up in the chair at an angle to be able to face Alec, "Thank you for inviting me to come." He lost his teasing tone and fell into a warm sincerity.

"It was Magnus' idea, actually. He only gave me about ten minutes notice before we left because he knows that if he'd left me alone with the idea for too long I'd have changed my mind," Alec explained honestly.

Jace laughed, "Well, then thank you for not objecting to his invitation."

"Of course I wouldn't. I'm really happy you're here." Alec smiled at him and was startled by the surprise he saw reflected in his eyes, "Why would I object to you being here?"

"I don't know, just... It's kind of hard to say no to Magnus when he calls you and tells you to pack and hangs up before you can ask all that many questions-" At this Alec sighed in resignation because he couldn't even doubt that that was exactly how it'd happened, "and I know this is meant to be a vacation for you guys and I wouldn't want to be intruding on your family time."

"Jace..." It felt like too much too suddenly to say that he _was_ like family; they never talked about feelings and that was delving too close to that touchy subject. Rather, he went as close to it as he could without showing more than he was comfortable with, "You're not intruding, not at all. Trust me, if Magnus didn't want you here he wouldn't have thought to invite you in the first place. His priorities are very... organized. And Izzy's always been a more-the-merrier type of person; I'm sure you've figured that out yourself by now. As for me, well... I wouldn't want you anywhere else."

"Oh." It was more of a breath but Alec caught his incredulity in the soft sound.

"Besides, I'd be a horrible knight if I got home to find the Whitelaws had murdered you in my absence. Pretty sure I'd be hung for that."

Jace didn't try to hold back the bright grin that lit up his entire face, "Alec Lightwood, are you making a _joke_?"

"Absolutely not. How dare you assume something so absurd." His tone was deadpan but that only seemed to make it funnier to Jace, who laughed loudly.

"Of course, of course, how dare I. My sincerest apologies for the insult, Sir Knight."

He knew Jace still had his doubts about whether or not he was truly wanted there; that wasn't something Alec could change no matter how many comforting words he tried to gather together.

Alec could only believe that Jace would come to see how wanted he was in due time.

For a brief moment, while they sat there giggling like schoolboys at the dumbest joke, Alec had a surge of hope that this pure, unadulterated feeling of joy was something he would get to keep and remember for a long, long time to come. He hoped, mostly, that Jace was feeling the same thing.

**2.**

From there it was easy to fall into comfort when there was so little to worry about. It was easy pretending the world was at peace when the world was no longer around them.

Alec didn't mind. He couldn't remember his family ever being that happy before and if pretending was what it took then so be it.

"You realize it's six in the morning, right? I'm pretty sure it's against vacation law to be awake at this hour."

Somehow they managed a full week before Jace decided it was time to take full advantage of the lake by going in for a swim at the most ungodly hour.

"Old habits die hard. And you're not one to talk, you're out here too." Jace swam up to the end of the dock where Alec stood with an eyebrow raised and a towel in hand. He crossed his arms over the edge of the dock and gave him a bright grin.

"I've been known to be a bit of a lawbreaker." Alec crouched down to make it easier to talk. It took a lot of willpower to ignore how wet and shirtless he was.

"Oh really? Did you once steal a chocolate bar? Very hardcore," Jace teased.

"Excuse you, I'll have you know that I'm a very good pickpocket." Alec held out the towel, "You forgot this."

"It was all part of my elaborate plan to get you out here, Mr. Hardcore... That sounded way dirtier than I meant it to, but I'm sticking with it. Come swim with me; the water's actually not that cold."

Alec reached out and took his chin in hand, his thumb brushing across his frozen lips, "Your lips are blue. Get inside, I'm making breakfast."

"Bo-ring!" Jace bemoaned.

"Or you can stay out here alone and get hypothermia. Your choice." Alec drew back his hand, eyes fixed on his lips longer than necessary before snapping back to his eyes where a familiar sparkle met his gaze.

"When you put it that way it's not much of a choice, is it?" Jace pushed himself onto the deck with his hands and settled on his knees on the very edge, where there was not much room between the water and Alec who was crouched down to his level.

Alec startled back from the onslaught of water drops and _Jace_ but somehow kept his balance, "Here," he said shortly and held out the towel. He averted his gaze. A part of him had wondered if Jace had thought to wear a swimsuit and, thankfully, he had.

"Thanks," Jace's voice was husky, and Alec would almost believe he was as flustered as he was if it weren't for the confident grin on his lips.

Alec cleared his throat pointlessly and then stood, taking a couple steps back, "I'll see you inside. Don't, ah, freeze to death or anything," he said awkwardly and turned from Jace to head back inside.

"See you inside, Mr. Hardcore!" Jace called after him, and he simply rolled his eyes.

Later that day, Isabelle joined in on the sudden enthusiasm for swimming in the lake. She slipped into her own bathing suit - Alec couldn't begin to guess when or why she would have it - and approached Jace with a challenge set in her eyes. Magnus and Alec were settled at the kitchen table with both edible and poker chips, and Jace was rifling through the fridge until she gained his attention.

"Jace!" There was no reason for her to be so loud other than to startle Jace into a military stance which he smoothly fell out from within the same breath, "you're going to teach me how to swim."

"You don't know how to swim?" he asked incredulously.

"We never needed to learn." She simply shrugged, unoffended by his obvious surprise.

"' _We_ '? Alec, you don't know how to swim either?" He turned to Alec who didn't bother looking up from the cards in his hands.

"Swimming isn't a skill I'd consider a priority nor all that important."

"Huh." Jace deemed this a matter of different upbringings and brought his attention next to Magnus, who in turn tutted at him.

"Don't even look my way, Jace Herondale."

"Gotcha. Of course, I'll teach you, Izzy. That's no problem at all. Alec?"

"Not happening. Don't let my sister drown. Have fun."

"Spoilsport." Jace turned to Isabelle, "I'll get changed and meet you at the dock."

"Don't forget towels!" Alec added before they left the room.

"Yes, big brother!" Isabelle pressed her fingers to her lips and blew him a kiss.

Alec tried hard to ignore the amused look on Magnus' face, but in the end, he snapped and asked, "What?"

"You're hilarious," Magnus said with the hint of a grin on his lips.

"I'm no such thing." Alec pushed forward a poker chip, "I raise."

"You should be out there playing with them. Call." Magnus met his bet and flipped the next card on the table.

"I don't play. I'm not a child."

"Poker is a game," Magnus pointed out, "besides, you are most certainly a child."

"Everything's a child to you. Even, like, sliced bread."

"Now that is just plain rude."

Alec smiled softly and met his gaze to indicate he was finally taking the conversation seriously, "Look, I know where this is going and my opinion on the matter hasn't changed. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are right now."

"Alright," Magnus lift up his hands in a sign of peace, "I just think you should make the most of this vacation."

"I am. I'm spending quality time with one of my favourite people in the whole wide world."

"Suck up," Magnus said and the two shared a smile.

The conversation rested there, and they continued their game.

**3.**

His bedroom door creaked open, a gentle reminder that the cottage was certainly far older than it looked, and Alec groaned while turning away from it. Not that it made a difference; there was no light in the hall to disturb him and the person wasn't going to go anywhere, but he had just turned in for the night and wasn't sure he was up for dealing with anything at the moment.

"Izzy?" he mumbled into his pillow.

"Nah, just me," Jace said after shutting the door.

"What is it? Did something happen?" he asked, ignoring the temptation to kick him out in case there was actually something important he needed to address. It being Jace, he doubted it.

"Always the pessimist." Jace walked towards the bed and abruptly hopped onto it, kneeling next to Alec who, with a heavy sigh, turned to look at him.

He could see his outline in the darkness but didn't have to see his face to know exactly what smile he was sporting at that moment, "What do you want?"

"Get dressed and come with me."

"Is this important? And I mean actually important, not your version of important." There was a pause which was telling enough. "You're impossible. What is it?" Alec pushed off the blanket and sat up to look at Jace properly, eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.

"Just come with me. Please?" It was a request, but he didn't sound very pleading. He already knew that Alec was going to agree.

"Fine, fine, let's go." Alec pushed his shoulder until he moved off the bed, and he stepped off after him. "Let me put on a shirt."

"You don't actually need to bother." Jace grabbed his arm gently and pulled him close. "Let me just..." His hand slid up his arm, fingers tracing over old and new runes most of which he'd drawn himself, and from memory found free space to place a new one. As soon as the rune was drawn Alec blinked rapidly to adapt to his sudden ability to see in the dark.

"Uh, thanks? We can turn on the lights, you know. Izzy and Magnus are pretty sound sleepers, they wouldn't notice us turning on the hall lights."

Jace gave him a look that suggested he wanted to roll his eyes but couldn't be bothered; rather than comment on his words he simply stated, "Come on."

"Okay, okay..." He let Jace pull him out of the room with his hand slipping into his.

He led them outside; not stopping so that either of them could put on some shoes but taking a moment to grab a duffel bag he'd left near the front door and slinging it over his shoulder. They walked slowly, the soft nighttime breeze refreshing compared to the heat that met them during the daylight hours. He brought them out onto the dock, coming to a halt about midway to the water.

"Any particular reason we're out here?" Alec asked.

Jace set down the bag and faced Alec with a bright smile, "I'm gonna teach you how to swim!"

"I actually gathered that much about your plan, Jace." The boy pouted in return and crossed his arms in a huff. "Why are we out here in the middle of the night?"

"Because it's more romantic. Obviously," Jace said matter-of-factly.

Alec sighed but was not so bothered by the comment. They were familiar coming from Jace, and they didn't embarrass him anymore. He walked to the edge of the dock and sat down, rolling up his pant legs and dipping his feet into the water. They were at a lake in eastern Canada which meant the water would never really get warm, but it wasn't uncomfortably cold at that time of the year either.

"I was hesitant at first, but... I think Magnus made a really good decision bringing us out here. It's refreshing, I think is the best way to put it."

"Like a reboot." Jace copied his movements and took a seat next to him.

"Exactly." He glanced at Jace out of the corner of his eye and spotted him looking up at the sky, eyes shining brightly out of wonderment as they fixed on the moon that somehow seemed larger than normal out in the wilderness. It was bold and imposing, whereas in the city it became a backdrop to the lights and noise of the people. The look on his face was so serene it made Alec question if he wasn't meant to be seeing it in the first place as it wasn't Jace's usual to go around letting his walls down so openly.

It made his heart race and he averted his gaze. He took hold of the edge of the dock and leaned forward far enough to look down into the water to catch his own reflection.

Oddly, despite his previous enthusiasm, Jace sat in silence. Alec guessed it was one of two things; either he was simply enjoying the scenery and the quiet time for what it was, or he was waiting for Alec to push against him as he usually did when confronted with things he didn't like.

It would be easy to say, " _Piss off_ " and head back inside. Jace would drop it, and he could pretend none of this happened.

Yet he _had_ walked out willingly knowing full well Jace's plan; he was pretty predictable when it came to dumb ideas. Jace had been so... happy at the prospect of showing him something new and spending time together, he didn't have it in him to say no outright.

"It's..." Alec's hands gripped tighter, taking a deep breath as he admitted, "I pretend it isn't, but it's embarrassing." He could tell Jace was looking at him but couldn't bring himself to meet his gaze.

"That you don't know how to-" Jace was asking to clarify, and Alec cut him short.

"Yes. That."

"Ah."

"It's not just that though. It's... When Izzy and I were younger, aside from what she learned in school, I was the one picking and choosing what we learned, what I thought was important for us to know. Because of that, a lot of easy, simple things fell through the cracks, and it never matters until suddenly someone makes an offhand comment, and it reminds me how badly I failed her. How badly I failed us both."

"That's not on you, Alec. You were a child, you were never going to be perfect," Jace admonished, gaze soft as Alec finally looked up at him.

"Yeah, well, you'd be the only one to think that way. Any mundane or Shadowhunter would have taken Izzy away from me if any of them had known what our situation was."

"Alec, what you don't realize is that you and Isabelle being alive is a miracle. Forget what they would think; you were stuck in the middle, trying to live among mundanes while being chased by the problems of Shadowhunters without anyone to guide or help you. No Shadowhunter I know could have done that. And you did it by being creative and brave and brilliant so who gives a shit if you know how to swim or not? You're a protector and a survivor and that can't be taken away from you."

He remained speechless for a moment, touched and warmed almost more by the earnest tone than the words themselves. Though his expression remained gentle, his eyes grew steely as if those were the most important words he'd ever spoken.

"I... Thank you, Jace," he said, hoping the sincerity came across as strongly as he felt it.

His smile was sweet, "Of course. You shouldn't be embarrassed about something like this, it's really not a big deal, and I'm more than happy to teach you."

"I know, I appreciate it." His hands finally eased their harsh grip on the wooden plank beneath him, and he reached out and took a hold of Jace's hand. Their fingers laced together, and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

Eventually, Jace bumped their shoulders together to gain his attention, "What's on your mind?" His grin was soft yet prodding.

Alec hesitated briefly. A part of him wanted to share this secret that rested heavily on him, but on the other hand, it was still embarrassing. Yet they had agreed on honesty between them and now that he'd thought it, he had to say it.

"I've never told anyone this before. I imagine Izzy suspects it a little, but... I don't really know how to... read."

Jace was clearly surprised by this revelation, a soft, "Oh", coming through before he clamped his mouth shut.

Alec looked away again, insecurities returning at full force, "I figure I knew well enough when I was little, but after my mother died and with my main focus being on taking care of Izzy, I've pretty much forgotten it all. I know a few words when I see them, like names and such, and I know the alphabet, but sometimes I forget which letter's which when I'm looking at them, and I don't know how sentences work other than out loud so... If I ever need to read anything I usually say it's too boring and get Izzy to read it out loud for me. The reason I don't know most of the runes in the Codex is that I don't know the words they're supposed to be or what those words mean."

It came out in a rush; he was trying to explain himself in a way to lighten his own embarrassment. He was pretty certain it wasn't working.

"I see." Jace sat in silence for a moment, and Alec had nothing else to add to that.

It was something he'd never admitted out loud before, not even to his sister or Magnus. It was his only secret and one he'd never intended to share. At that point in his life, it felt like it had gone on too long and there was no going back to try again. How could he turn to his little sister and ask her to teach him something that was so basic and necessary; something he _should_ know by that point in his life? He'd managed to find loopholes and detours his whole life yet it always weighed on him as his greatest shame.

"I can't do basic math."

"Hm?" Alec was startled by his sudden declaration, and he watched as Jace shrugged and stared out across the lake.

"Math isn't something Shadowhunters consider important. My parents found no use for it and Valentine made me focus on my training. We don't have anything like a school to teach us things our parents don't want to. Leave me in a grocery store alone and I'm completely hopeless. Trying to figure out how much change I need is way more stressful than any Shax demon."

"Does it ever bother you?"

"Sometimes," he admitted, "it's not fun when I get to the cashier and I have no idea how much cash I need to give them, and then there's a line behind me and I start feeling pressured. But then I remind myself that just because I don't know these things doesn't mean I've done anything wrong. It's the result of my circumstances; it is what it is."

"Since when are you wise?" Alec teased, though it was true that he had found comfort in his words.

"Since you needed cheering up." Jace grinned up at him, pressing their shoulders together and moving in closer.

Alec flushed but didn't move away, "I really appreciate it. Thank you, Jace."

Jace moved abruptly. He swung himself around to land in Alec's lap, effectively straddling him with little room to move to keep from falling backward into the lake. Alec took hold of his waist to steady him and ignored the tremor in his hands caused by both the intimacy of the position and the casualty with which Jace held himself. Jace placed his hands on Alec's shoulders, and his smile was as dizzying as it always seemed to be.

"Me and you, we're a team, right? So this is the sort of thing we should help each other out with, and I think a great place to start is with me teaching you how to swim. I mean look at this gorgeous lake; we've got to take advantage of it."

"I don't have-"

"Got Magnus to steal you a pair." Jace pointed to the bag over his shoulder where he'd stashed a pair of swim shorts for Alec.

He sighed, "Okay, okay, you win." He was going to prod Jace into getting up, but he didn't really want him to. The closeness was... nice. And warm.

Jace brought a hand up and gently carded his fingers through Alec's hair, moving a few strands out of his eyes and leaving his hand at the base of his neck. Leaning a little bit closer, he whispered, "Shall we?"

At this point he'd known Jace long enough to know he was doing it on purpose to get under his skin; the part that was most annoying was that it was working. His cheeks felt unbearably warm and everywhere Jace's body met his own was burning with a desire he'd never let himself settle into before. Now, he sat still, wanting to know what it felt like not to pull away for once.

Jace's eyes moved past him somewhere over his shoulder and then flickered back to him almost too quick to notice he'd looked away at all. With the speed of a Shadowhunter, which Alec's eyes had grown accustomed to following, he removed himself from Alec's lap and stood next to him. In the same motion, his hands slipped into Alec's and pulled him up along with him.

"Get changed! I won't look - pinky promise." With a devilish grin, he pushed Alec towards the bag.

It wasn't like Jace not to take every possible chance to flirt, and it left Alec confused though he wondered if he ought to be offended. He walked over to the bag, and his hands shook as he rifled through its contents which consisted of two towels and a pair of blue swim shorts. Glancing over his shoulder he spotted Jace, now facing away from him, pull off his shirt and throw it blindly behind him. It seemed he'd put his swimsuit on beneath his clothes, and Alec brought his gaze back forward as he saw Jace's hands move down to his jeans to finish undressing.

He had no idea why he'd agreed to this.

Once he'd finished changing he slipped into the water, confident enough when he already knew his feet would hit a sandy bottom. It was anything beyond that point that made him nervous, although a part of his mind was still focused on the fluttering in his stomach that Jace had caused. He used to be good at ignoring it; as time went on he wasn't sure he wanted to anymore.

"We can stay in the shallow end until you're more comfortable," Jace said, guessing at his thoughts likely by the look on his face.

Jace was already fully soaked; he'd gone underwater as soon as he'd slid into the water. With wet hands, he pushed the hair out of his face and then reached out to Alec who met him halfway.

He had no idea how much time they spent out in the water with Jace teaching as patiently as he had always been during their training sessions, and Alec, likewise, just as frustrated. Their voices and laughter echoed across the water as they splashed around feeling like the only two people in the world. There wasn't a single light coming from the cottage, the wildlife in the area was relatively docile and only the crickets were making any noise, and the neighboring cottages that weren't visible to them remained quiet and forgotten.

They were out there long enough for their fingertips to wrinkle and their lips to go blue, and more than long enough for Alec to get the swing of things.

"Did you really have to do that?" Alec spluttered as he resurfaced after getting tackled into the water by Jace. He kept an arm around Jace's middle as he steadied them both.

"Yes, yes I did." Jace's grin was infectious, and Alec found himself smiling along with him despite wanting to feign annoyance.

"I think it's time we get out of here, it's getting late."

"I guess so," Jace agreed noncommittally. He reached towards him and gently ran his fingers through his hair, getting the wet strands out of his face. He didn't seem keen to leave the water.

Alec didn't move. He let Jace's hands move from his hair down to his shoulders then to his elbows where they stayed, grip strong and sure.

"So, is this when-" Jace cut himself short.

His eyes darted off to the side, fixed on something over his shoulder, and quickly returned to Alec with a smile that didn't shine as brightly as it normally would. Before Alec had the chance to question him, a mischievous grin spread across his lips and he shook his head violently.

Alec laughed as he was sprayed with droplets, and he let go of Jace's waist to shield his face from the onslaught. When Jace was done he looked at him; his hair was sticking in random directions and his expression was back to his usual mix of joy and playfulness.

"Jerk," Alec placed a hand on his chest and gave a gentle push. Jace, being overly dramatic, let himself fall back into the water with a splash.

When he resurfaced spitting out water, Alec had already pulled himself back onto the dock and was staring down at him with exasperation and affection.

"You're impossible." At this point, it came across more as a term of endearment than a reproach.

"That just means you have to try harder." Jace climbed onto the dock, and Alec met him with a towel. He wrapped it around his shoulders and extended a hand to help him stand.

"Let's head inside before we get sick." Alec placed his own towel around his waist and stuffed their clothes into the duffel bag which he then slung over his shoulder.

Jace fell into step with him as they headed back into the cottage, soaked and exhausted but ultimately happy. Alec glanced down at him out of the corner of his eye but spotted nothing amiss.

Alec had no idea what was going on with him. For once he had let his own guard down more than once, and it wasn't like Jace not to at least _try_ for something. He had seemed to want to, but whatever was on his mind was preoccupying him. He chose not to say anything about it, assuming that if it were important for him to know Jace would have mentioned it.

They stopped in front of Alec's room, Jace's being further down the hall, and Alec turned to him, "Goodnight. And - and thank you. For tonight. It was... fun."

"I'm happy you think so. Goodnight." Jace smiled and walked away from him towards his own room.

Alec debated calling him back.

To talk, maybe. To kiss, also maybe.

He didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading as always :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Please leave a comment with your thoughts, I always love to hear from all of you!!!


	13. In The Shadows Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!
> 
> Enjoy :)

**_1._ **

The following morning Alec could see the tiniest hint of fatigue in Jace's movements, the cause of a sleepless night. After Magnus and Isabelle headed outside to soak in the sun, he made him a cup of coffee and placed it gently in front of him as he sat at the dinner table reading through a book Alec couldn't name. It was English, he thought, though the characters seemed more unfamiliar than usual.

Maybe Greek, or Latin, they were often similar enough he couldn't tell any of them apart.

He stayed still for a moment as he waited for Jace to take notice of him, his hand resting on his lower back. When Jace looked at him, it was with a weak smile.

"You doing alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks." He held up the coffee mug in gratitude and took a sip. Once he set it back down on the tabletop he turned to him in his seat and asked, "Can we talk about something real quick?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Not here," Jace said and stood up. He grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the kitchen.

Alec let himself be led without comment, but only up to the point where he was being shoved into the closet in Jace's room.

"Hey! What-"

"Shush." Jace shut the door behind them, forcing them to squeeze into the small confines of his closet. It wasn't exactly built to fit two grown boys, but they somehow managed. "We can't risk being overheard."

"By who? Magnus and Izzy are both outside," Alec whispered, feeling as if the situation called for it. He blinked rapidly, hoping it might help his eyes adjust to the darkness faster.

"Not by them," Jace explained. "We're being hunted."

"What does that even _mean_?"

"I noticed something watching us last night. I went out not long after we got back in to try and find it, and I found tracks leading into the forest. I couldn't find anything, but I'm positive it's a demon, though I couldn't say what kind."

"And you think it's... hunting us?"

"Yes. Demons don't typically sit around and watch; they always go in for the kill. Most of them aren't smart enough to understand the concept of waiting around for the best time to strike, which worries me even more."

"You think it's a smart demon."

"Yes."

"And it's watching us, because..."

"No idea. I don't really care to find out."

"Okay," Alec sighed, "I'll let Magnus know, and he can portal us out of here. It should be asleep now, right? Since it's daytime?" His eyes had adjusted enough to spot the incredulous look Jace gave him.

"We can't just run away! We have to find this thing and kill it."

"Absolutely not. You said this thing is smart, right? I can't see it being an easy fight and remember that my _sister_ is here. We're leaving. No 'buts'." Alec reached around Jace and opened the door.

Jace huffed and stepped out of the closet with Alec following after him. He threw his hands up in the air and said, "Fine, fine. We can leave the demon here to go around murdering a bunch of innocent people trying to have a relaxing vacation."

"Jace." It was a warning he didn't need to elaborate on.

"Look, why don't you tell Magnus and he and Izzy can get out of here while we kill the demon. Once we do that they can come back, and we continue to enjoy this vacation."

Alec crossed his arms and thought for a moment, then nodded, "Deal."

"Deal," Jace agreed with a satisfied grin, "Let's go find them. They should be out front."

They left the cottage in search of Magnus and Isabelle. They had taken to sunbathing on large sun chairs out near the water, and that's where they found them. They were dressed in swimwear with large sun hats on their heads, sitting close enough to chat and share gossip from the magazines in their laps. Alec hated to interrupt them but knew he had no choice.

He stepped between them and in a hushed voice began explaining their dilemma. Before he could get very far, Jace slid in next to him and in a tone that hinted at panic and his eyes locked somewhere in the distance behind Alec, he whispered to them, "I may have misjudged the severity of our situation here."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked. He wanted to glance over his shoulder to see what Jace was looking at but wasn't quite certain he wanted to by the look on his face.

"So. Not a smart demon. More like a Greater Demon. We need to get out of here, _now_."

"What about-" He'd heard about Greater Demons, they were described in the Codex, but he didn't know enough to be nearly as concerned as he should be. Now his attention was on what Jace had mentioned earlier about leaving the demon behind to murder mundanes.

Magnus stood from his seat in a rush, his eyes also looking beyond him, "He's right, Alexander. We need to go." He grabbed Isabelle's hand and helped her stand. "I'll open a portal, it'll take a moment."

With a snap of his fingers he was dressed in comfortable black clothing, an outfit that suggested he would be ready for a fight if need be. Isabelle slipped on her sundress and followed after him, and at the same moment, both Lightwood siblings finally looked behind them to see what was causing them so much urgency.

Out in the forest, a group of trees at the front appeared to be dying, as that was the only way to see it. The leaves were turning rapidly from green to dried brown and falling by the handful, the branches were curling into themselves and shriveling as if years were passing in only seconds. It was horrifying to watch; he'd never seen anything so unnatural before. He was used to Magnus' magic, he'd always thought it had a strange beauty to it. This was life being drained away too fast, too much.

It was a level of power he had never witnessed before.

He turned to his sister out of a need to know she was safe and saw her and Magnus a little ways off to begin opening the portal while giving him and Jace room to fight. Magnus didn't look away from his work to say in his High Warlock authoritative tone he rarely pulled out to use on him, "I don't want you fighting that thing, Alec. Just... you two keep it busy long enough for me to finish this."

"Any ideas what we're up against? I've never read about any Greater Demon that does... this," Jace asked. The only explanation for what was happening to the trees was that the creature was doing it, how or why remained a mystery.

"I have an unpleasant guess."

"Any guess on how to kill it?"

"No. I've only heard stories; never stopped for details."

"Can't you just chop off its head?" Isabelle asked.

Alec had been wondering the same thing, but Jace hesitantly stated, "Well, we can try, but some Greater Demons can only be killed in certain ways. They can be a bit of a hassle if you don't know what you're dealing with. Have your blade?" he directed his question to Alec.

He froze for a moment as he had to think that through, but he breathed a sigh of relief as he checked his pocket and there it was, "Yeah, I've got it. Got any sort of plan, or just..."

They didn't have much time left to talk. The trees were long dead now and from between two of them a black mass emerged. Two bright red eyes glinted in the midst of the dark shape which stood about five feet high. As it prowled closer towards them Alec was finally able to get a proper look at it and it appeared to be some sort of oversized dog. It had pointed ears and a long snout, its legs were long with big paws and claws that dug into the earth as it walked, and what seemed to be a mist floated around it. There were dark tendrils amidst the mist that would pierce the ground and suddenly the grass' green would fade to brown, and once complete it would move to a new spot to continue draining whatever life it could reach.

"I have a quarter of a plan. Magnus, any chance this is a normal hellhound?" Jace pulled out his seraph blade and activated it. Alec saw the light reflecting in a steely gaze, though he could see a hint of uncertainty in the way he moved his weight back and forth from one foot to another.

"No, definitely a sort of Greater Hellhound. Would bet on decapitation working though, if you can get close enough. Highly not recommended."

Jace caught Alec's gaze and pointed to the right; he nodded his understanding. He started walking in that direction while Jace went the opposite way in an attempt to surround the demon. It was coming towards them oddly slowly, muzzle touching the earth every so often as if to catch a scent. He'd seen dogs do it enough to know it was searching for something in particular.

As soon as Jace moved to flank its left the demon looked straight at him and its ears fell flat against its head. It crouched down and growled, its sharp teeth visible and threads of thick drool dripping to the ground. When it leaped towards him Jace was already prepared for it and rolled out of the way. He took a swing at it, but one of its tendrils got in the way and deflected the blade.

The tendrils were their biggest problem. They couldn't get near the demon as they were persistently kept back by them; they needed to avoid being struck by them or risk getting drained as they did to everything else around them. Alec cut through one, a splash of ichor landing on his cheek and arm, but what he cut off disintegrated into ash and the limb regrew in seconds.

"Isn't it supposed to be weaker in sunlight?" Alec asked as he barely avoided losing his blade when it gripped his wrist in a tight hold he barely managed to break.

"We'll have a lesson on Greater Demons once we get out of here."

As much as the creature seemed fixated on Jace, it certainly wasn't ignoring the rest of them. It noticed what Magnus was doing and true to its intelligence must have known he was opening them a portal to escape. It flung a group of tendrils in his and Isabelle's direction, not succeeding in hitting either of them but managing to pull them away from their task.

It separated them though Magnus tried valiantly to stay by her side. He flung balls of fire at it, but there were too many to get through to reach Isabelle. She stepped as far back as she could, judging that there must be a limit to its reach and trying to stay out of the way of the fight.

Magnus circled around to Alec; they were behind it but it still knew they were there and kept them apart with waves of dark energy. Through the fog and thick ropes, he managed to catch his gaze, "We're going to have to kill it. I'm not going to get that portal open."

Alec nodded, "Where's Izzy?"

It was becoming harder to see. The demon was constantly emitting some sort of mist, at first it was like powder floating around its feet as it walked, but it began to rise around it and them. It had a bitter scent and was as thick as smoke from a fire.

Alec remembered the burning hospital; the smell of smoke and the screams of the scared.

"She's fine," was the answer he received and he took him to his word. They had no time to waste on chatting. "I'll try to clear some of this..." Magnus mumbled a spell and rose his hands, a blue-tinted bubble rose from the ground and captured a large amount of the fog inside it. It rose into the air and popped; its contents remained high in the air and away from their faces. The air on the ground had cleared enough for them to see each other again.

The shift was sudden. One moment the demon was snarling at Jace, its jaws snapping wildly as it lunged at him over and over to gain some headway, and the next moment it turned away from him and bounded over towards Isabelle. It was so sudden that none of them reacted to it as quickly as they could have.

She had backed up near the lawn chairs and there was enough distance between herself and the creature, and the fight itself, for her to take action. As she saw it spin in her direction she reached into the bag she'd left on the chair when she'd slipped into her dress earlier and pulled out the first thing her fingers could curl around. It was a mostly full can of bug spray.

When the hound leaped at her, landing a foot in front of her with its lips curled into a growl, she tossed aside the cap of the bottle and sprayed it into its face while aiming for its eyes. It howled loudly in pain but still moved forward with its momentum and she fell back onto the lawn chair as she tried to get away from it.

"Isabelle!" she heard her brother's voice calling out to her but that was soon drowned out by the sound of her own scream. The beast never reached her but one of its tendrils lashed out and caught her in the upper thigh where her dress had hiked up when she'd fallen. She screamed more out of fear than pain; it felt like being stung by a large bee, though she was quickly growing lightheaded.

Being unable to keep her gaze off the glowing red eyes of the Hellhound despite her oncoming fatigue, she spotted the moment fear changed to resolve in her brother's eyes from where he stood behind the beast.

A wave of blue light she recognized as Magnus' magic passed in front of her and the tendril was forcibly pulled out of her leg. She sat still and watched with panic as her brother jumped onto the creature's back with a vicious look on his face. Isabelle had never feared her brother, but she couldn't fault any that did.

The Greater Hellhound was howling and bucking up its hind legs in an attempt to throw off its unwanted rider. Alec held on strong; his thighs were pressed tightly into the creature's sides to prevent himself from being flung off, the fingers on his left hand were curled tightly into its fur, and in his right, he lifted up high his seraph blade. With a strike that was more power than precision, he buried the blade into the beast's neck.

It screeched for barely a moment before its legs gave out from beneath it and it grew still. Alec didn't stop. He hacked at the hound's neck until it was fully severed from the body and he was covered in splattered ichor. The Hellhound faded into ash, the tendrils leaving soot stains on the grass where they disintegrated.

When Alec looked up from where he was now kneeling in the demon's ashy remains, his sister was looking off to the side unable to look at him or his actions, and Magnus let out a sigh with an exasperated frown on his face.

"If you choose to be stupidly reckless, Alexander, try to do it when I'm not around to see it," his friend said and then turned to Isabelle, "I'll take a look at that." He gestured to her leg. The area the tendril had punctured her leg was red and swollen with specks of blood, but overall did not seem life-threatening.

She turned towards them, her face pale and her lips drawn into a tight smile in a forced show of strength, "Yeah. Are you alright, Alec? I think I saw it get you too." Magnus sat next to Isabelle on the lawn chair and examined her leg, a wave of magic flowing out of his fingers into the wound.

Alec reached out to gently touch his lower back. In the moment of adrenaline he hadn't even noticed, but now the pain was clear in an incessant throbbing.

"I'll take a look." Jace walked over to him. He put away his seraph blade and knelt next to him, "That was _wicked_ , Alec! I mean, stupid, yeah, but pretty damn awesome." He lifted Alec's shirt to be able to get a clear view of the wound, warm fingers prodding at the skin around the circular red mark. "Magnus, any chance this is venomous?"

"No, there are no lingering effects. You're good to go."

With that confirmation, Jace was quick to pull out his _stele_ and draw a healing rune on his back near the wound. The flesh smoothed over and all that remained was an X-shaped scar where the tendril had actually pierced the skin.

"All fixed. Just a little scar left." He traced the scar and Alec shivered at the gentle touch against the still sensitive skin.

"Yes, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about that." Magnus finished healing Isabelle and she, too, had a small scar remaining from the attack.

Isabelle stretched out her leg and looked down at it with a thoughtful hum, "That's fine. We have matching battle scars!" With the threat gone Isabelle regained her cheerful tone and the red in her cheeks.

Jace moved to be kneeling next to Alec to speak to him and caught the stormy expression on his face. His lips were pursed tight and his hands were curled into fists on his knees. Jace placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and leaned forward, whispering into his ear so only he could hear, "It happens, Alec. There was nothing any of us could have done. She's fine, you know. A Greater Demon is no easy threat, and if all we got from this encounter is a couple battle scars than I say it went better than we could have hoped."

Alec met his gaze and his expression remained unchanged, "Should have gone better." was all he said in response to him and raised his tone to continue, "Any guesses why that thing was here?"

"Greater Demons are generally summoned; they can't traverse through the void into our world as easily as weaker demons," Magnus said.

"It was definitely after me, and I wouldn't put it past Valentine to go through the trouble of summoning a Greater Demon to off me, but I have no idea how it found us."

"Nobody knew we were coming here except the four of us. Let's head inside and go through our things and see if we were being tracked somehow. I don't see how or when anyone could have put a tracking spell on any of us, but we shouldn't leave until we're sure we won't be followed again." Magnus put out a hand to help Isabelle stand. She was wobbly on her feet for a moment, but the pain in her leg was gone and she stood confidently after a moment.

Alec and Jace stood and the group moved into the cottage after collecting their few belongings by the lakeside.

Magnus pointed to Alec as they passed the threshold, "You're disgusting; go take a shower. We'll work on going through our things."

Alec looked down at himself and had to agree. Straddling the beast while it died had left him covered in ash and then there was the ichor staining a majority of his upper half. He nodded, "Alright, I'll be back in five."

He kicked off his shoes at the doorway and padded off to his room to collect some clothes for his shower. He'd mostly been omitting his usual hoodie since they were alone with no need to hide his runes and the weather was warm, but now he grabbed his favourite greying hoddie and old jeans as he assumed their next stop would be home.

He made quick work of his shower, little more than the five minutes he'd stated, and stopped in his room to gather his things before finding his family by the entranceway. He dropped his bag and waited for them to speak, the quiet giving away that they must have found what they were looking for.

"It was this," Magnus said, cutting to the chase. He held out a silver ring with a string of engraved birds around the band; he'd never seen it before. "There's a tracking spell on it, old from what I can tell."

"It's mine," Jace admitted, arms crossed over his chest and not quite able to meet anyone's gaze, "I never thought... he gave that to me years ago, saying it was my father's, and it never occurred to me he might have put a spell on it."

Alec felt his temper flare, a spark of heat rushing through his veins, "Yes, well maybe that's something you should consider when a maniac gives you a gift." he spat out.

Jace flinched and said nothing to defend himself.

Over the years he'd managed to control his temper well, even in recent situations that made him want to shout and rave and stomp his foot in a childish manner, but faced with the idea that something horrible could have happened to his sister and guardian he couldn't tamper it down even though he knew it was undeserved. He would have continued, but Magnus shut him down quickly before he said something he'd regret.

"Alec-" Magnus said loudly, pointedly, "and I will go outside to finish the portal. Can you two sweep in here to make sure we haven't forgotten anything important?"

"Yup, we'll do that," Isabelle said enthusiastically enough for the both of them.

Magnus and Alec grabbed the bags by the door and headed outside, Alec wisely keeping his mouth shut. They dropped them on the lawn chairs and Magnus returned to the beginnings of his previous portal. He could easily continue from where he'd left off now that there was nothing distracting or attacking him.

It took a moment before he spoke and Alec knew to wait for it rather than to say anything.

"Your behaviour was inappropriate, Alexander."

"I didn't do anything," he denied, crossing his arms and feeling petulant.

"Your trust in people shouldn't come in whims. If you trust Jace, _trust him_ , don't falter over an unfortunate accident. I know that temper of yours, Alexander, and right now that boy does not need to deal with it. He's already blaming himself enough for the lot of us; don't make it worse." Magnus added as a question, "Unless you believe there's a reason to distrust him?"

His rage was unwilling to smooth over that easily, but neither was he unreasonable. He sighed and mumbled, "... No."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"What are we going to do with the ring?"

"I can't risk breaking the spell, in case Valentine figures out were onto him, and obviously I'm not bringing this home with us. I asked Jace where he would go after an attack and he told me about this safe house in Rhode Island he'd gone to a couple times on missions, so I'm going to send it there. We want to make it look deliberate."

"Do you think he knows we were all here or just Jace?"

"He might assume I'm here. It depends on how much he was monitoring Jace's movements. He could believe Jace traveled here on his own, but a portal would be much more believable. I can confirm its very unlikely he knows about you or Isabelle. That kind of Greater Demon wouldn't have bothered reporting back to Valentine with its findings. It was given a place to go and a scent to find and kill, no more no less."

"That's... good, I guess."

Isabelle and Jace exited the cottage at that moment, Isabelle chatting excitedly and Jace listening with his eyes downcast and his hands in his pockets. They wandered over to them and presented them empty hands.

"Nothing left behind, we're all good to go." Isabelle linked her arm with Alec's and smiled sadly, "Guess it's time for us to head home?"

Magnus stopped his work on the portal and turned to the three children behind him. There was no joy to be seen, the attack leaving them tired, worn, and drained. This was not how he'd envisioned their vacation ending. With a thoughtful spark in his eyes he bent down to pick up her discarded sun hat and placed it on her head, giving her a gentle smile, "I don't know about that."

He completed the portal and slowly as Magnus focused his thoughts through the shimmer appeared another forest; it was certainly not home. With a grand wave of his hand, he gestured them to walk through to the destination he had set for them. Isabelle's smile was confused though curious and she grabbed her bags and dragged her brother through it without any second thoughts.

Jace grabbed the remaining luggage and walked through after them. Magnus took up the rear after magicking away the Herondale ring that had caused them their troubles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Alec to death, but he has a bit of a temper sometimes and isn't always level-headed. I couldn't make him perfect as much as I'd like to.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this latest chappie!
> 
> Please leave a comment with your thoughts, I truly appreciate each and every one of them!
> 
> On a different note - I dressed as Supergirl for Halloween, what about you guys?


	14. What Sits Beneath The Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot how much fluff was in this chapter until I re-read it. I hope you all enjoy this gross amount of fluff shoved into one chapter lol

_**1.** _

"Where are we?" Alec asked after they'd all stepped through the portal.

They were in a small clearing in the middle of a forest made up of various types of trees and flora with the soft sound of birds chirping in the distance. In the clearing, there were the remains of an old campfire and a log near it likely used as a bench. He looked around and found the forest spread out around them as far as the eye could see. There was a distinct lack of civilization, no man-made trash or footprints to be seen.

"We are currently just outside a little town called Bridington in Quebec. A little further north is the Augustin Quarry. I found this little hidden gem about a century ago, it's far from tourist spots and is usually pretty quiet," Magnus explained, tone jovial as he watched them take in their surroundings.

"Okay, then why are we here?"

"I remember our dear Isabelle having interest in visiting a quarry, and since I don't think any of us are quite ready for this vacation to end I thought this would be a wonderful place to visit."

"Oh, Magnus! This is lovely, thank you so much!" Isabelle gave him a hug, smile finally bright once more.

Alec couldn't protest when she looked like that.

Magnus waved a sparkled hand towards a free area near them and there appeared various bags of equipment. "This stuff was in one of the closets at the cottage. There should be a couple of tents and chairs. Izzy and I will go take a walk and see that quarry, you boys can take care of getting those tents set up."

Jace and Alec shared an amused look before they glanced away as if they weren't yet allowed to be in sync once more.

"You plan to sleep in a tent?" Alec asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"A night or two won't do me any harm. Don't bother with any air mattresses though, I do intend to sleep on a comfortable mattress. Ta!" He blew him a kiss and waved goodbye before gesturing for Isabelle to follow after him.

"Bye bye boys!" She chimed before leaving the clearing by Magnus' side.

Alec did a two-fingered salute in mocking obedience to his order and turned next to Jace. It was obviously Magnus' way of giving them space to talk, but he wasn't in the mood yet to do so.

"Um," Jace shuffled awkwardly for a moment and gestured to the tents, "I don't know if you've ever... It's pretty simple too, yeah..." He simply trailed off deciding there was no point in pursuing the conversation.

He walked over to the pile of things Magnus had summoned and began to sort it. The atmosphere was tense and it helped to keep too busy to think. Alec moved their own bags to the side and followed Jace's lead in preparing the tents. There were two; he already knew where that was going to go if Magnus had his way.

Alec had never set up a tent before and followed Jace's instructions without comment.

Every second that passed felt intimately wrong. They'd spent months together by this point, and not once had Alec ever seen Jace this subdued. Even when things were stressful, or he was put on the spot, his confidence, whether honest or a front, had never wavered. In a sense, it was refreshing that Jace didn't feel the need to pretend in front of him, but that didn't ease his current guilt.

Alec sighed and dropped what he was working on; they were about halfway through the first tent and it fell limply to the ground.

"This isn't right," he said. "Come here."

Jace stood hesitantly and walked over to him, expression indecipherable. He stopped in front of him while making sure to leave a good amount of space between them. "What's up?" There was a hint of his usual easy-going tone but it was far too forced.

Alec took a step forward to make that space between them disappear and wrapped his arms around Jace in a tight hug. He pulled him to his chest and held him as close as possible. The few times they had hugged or held each other, Alec had always believed that they fit nicely together. That Jace fit into every empty part of him without thought or trial. Now was no different as he was quick to step into the embrace and return the hug with equal fervour.

"I'm sorry," Alec said pulling out of the hug but leaving his arms around his waist. "My behaviour earlier was inappropriate. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you."

Jace grinned but there was no joy to it, "It's fine, Alec. I mean, it _was_ my fault. It was stupid of me not to consider that he'd have put some sort of tracking spell on me, and because of me your family could have been seriously hurt."

"No, it's not fine, Jace. It was an accident, and I should have been the first to tell you that. I should have reassured you... and I didn't. Because it was easier to be angry at you. I would have shouted at you if I'd been given the chance, and it's not fair of me to throw blame at you because it's easier. That was wrong of me." He let go of his waist and moved to take his hands in his own, making sure to keep their eyes locked to be certain that Jace could see nothing but honesty in his words, "I care about you, Jace, I care about you a lot and I didn't show that today. It was an insult to you, and an insult to our relationship, that I could think to treat you so badly. And I want you to realize that. I want you to know that what I did was wrong. Don't make excuses for me, I don't deserve them."

"Alec..." Jace was at a loss for words for a moment, but soon a smile formed on his lips with a watery glint in his eyes. There was only one acceptable response and he simply said, "I forgive you."

"Thank you," he said softly, "I promise to do better from here on out."

"I know you will. But you know, Mr. Lightwood, I can't say I dislike that hotheadedness of yours. It's kinda sexy."

Finally, the confidence had returned with the usual smug tilt to his words that Alec had grown fond of.

With a laugh and his cheeks growing red, he said, "Gets me into quite a lot of trouble."

"Trouble can be fun, though."

"You would think so." Alec drew back, "And I'm sure we'll get into trouble if we don't get these tents set up. Shall we?"

Jace smiled sweetly and nodded, "Yeah, sounds good."

Now they were able to get the two tents ready with no wasted time, exchanging instructions and guidance with the fluidity of people used to camaraderie. By the time Magnus and Isabelle returned from their walk they were done and resting by a newly sparked fire. They finished setting up the rest of their camping site; Magnus summoned mattresses, blankets, and pillows inside the tents and they set up camping chairs next to the fire pit. Next came food, which was stolen dishes from the Jade Wolf for a taste of home.

"How long did you want us to stay here, Magnus?" Alec asked in between bites of food. He and Jace were sitting next to each other on the log while Magnus and Isabelle had made themselves comfortable in the camping chairs on the other side of the fire.

Magnus had been staring off into the darkening sky with his takeout box mostly untouched in his lap, and he met his gaze upon being spoken to though there remained a far-off spark in his eyes, "I figure we can spend the day tomorrow at the quarry and the day after, who knows? We're in no rush, and... I'm not quite ready to head home yet," he admitted.

"Sounds nice," Alec said with a smile that was easily returned and then turned to Jace, "I assume the Whitelaws won't mind you being away a while longer?"

Jace shrugged, "They're probably hoping I don't come back." Which was not surprising with their behaviour, "But I don't think my ring should stay in Rhode Island for long. It's a small safe house, and I wouldn't stay longer than a few days at the most."

"I'll move it to New York in a couple of days," Magnus said. "Is there anywhere either of you would like to visit?"

"Not really." Alec said and Jace added, "I don't know any touristy things to do."

"Well, then I'll make it a surprise."

It wasn't long until Magnus and Isabelle were saying their goodnight's with early plans for a picnic by the quarry. They headed into one of the tents and left the two boys by the warmth of their campfire. They were all exhausted after the day's events, but they were too restless to turn in quite yet.

"How's the injury?" Jace asked, hand coming to rest on Alec's lower back where the Hellhound had struck him.

"It's fine," Alec shrugged, "could have been a lot worse."

It was easy to accept any injury done to his own person; acceptance was a lot harder when it came to his family. Remembering his sister's scream still spiked his anger, though at least it wasn't towards Jace anymore.

"Yeah... you know, I am really sorry about today. It shouldn't have happened."

"I know you're sorry. I also know it was an accident. Don't blame yourself, Jace, it won't do you any good. Sometimes there's no blame to pass around, even if it feels like it would make everything better."

"I guess so." Jace's agreement was less than heartfelt, but Alec let it sit at that.

They sat in comfortable silence for a long moment. The fire sputtered and flickered as it clung to the remaining logs, but the campsite was mostly lit by the nearly full moon above them. It shone just as brightly as it had back at the lake and they were equally mesmerized. It made the real world seem so far away. They'd been away from home for a little less than three weeks and it felt like forever. Alec missed his friends and his bed, a home he'd grown to love and cherish, but knew he wouldn't give up this moment by Jace's side to be there instead.

They were both sitting with their legs stretched out in front of them as the log sat too close to the ground to do otherwise comfortably, and after some time Jace turned his foot to press against Alec's ankle to gain his attention. When he met his gaze there was an unusually serious look on his face, "I don't know that this is the best time to talk about this, but I'm not really sure when the best time would be, so..."

"You can always speak your mind with me, Jace." It earned him a warm smile and it encouraged Jace to proceed.

"I need to know where you stand with this-" Jace made a vague gesture between them, "because at this point I have no clue. Sometimes I think we're on the same page and sometimes... It's like you're so far away and I don't know what to make of it."

"' _This_ ' as in me and you?" Alec asked to be certain; neither of them had ever sought out to talk about it before. That was likely where the confusion lay.

"Yes. People, including your friends, refer to me as your boyfriend and you don't correct them, yet we haven't even kissed. Not that that's everything, but if that's not something you're into or want then I think we should at least talk about it."

"I - yeah. You're right." Honestly, Alec hadn't expected Jace to bring it up. Although, in his defense, "we have gone too long without talking about it."

It had been months of dancing around each other; Jace teasing and flirting and Alec letting him without a protest. It was also true that everyone Alec knew assumed they were in a relationship, the term 'boyfriend' was used nonchalantly around them and it didn't bother him because what did he care what other's thought? He and Jace were comfortable enough without needing to give what they had a title or spend any time talking about it. Up to that day, apparently.

They were plenty intimate in every way except physically, though even that wasn't entirely accurate. It was true that the hesitation towards a more physical intimacy stemmed from Alec, and Alec only, and he was well aware of that. He didn't care to correct people on their assumptions and he wasn't blind to what he and Jace shared, but there were still those niggling doubts that held him from accepting anything more than the middle ground they found themselves in between a friendship and relationship.

"I think it's pretty obvious what I want here," Jace stated obviously to dispel the silence that had fallen as Alec lost himself in thought.

"You have," Alec agreed, "I know it's on me that we haven't... anything, really. It's stupid to explain, I hardly get it myself."

"Try me," Jace challenged.

The warmth of Jace's shoulder pressed against his grounded him and allowed him to speak his words with ease, though they still felt jumbled in his mind.

"I'm scared," he said with a sigh, "I'm always _so_ scared, Jace, and I have been since I was nine and my mother died. She was the one who kept us safe from the world that wanted us dead and suddenly I find myself having to take her role and protect my baby sister. Our lives depended on me and how well I could follow in her steps. It was... It was horrible, Jace.

"There was nowhere safe for us and I didn't know how to make it safe. There were monsters and enemies around every corner. I honestly have no idea what I would have done if I'd had to continue struggling to live and survive all on my own. Not that Isabelle was difficult, she was always wonderful honestly, but it was hard. When Magnus found us it was a blessing, though I didn't realize it for a long time. But even now I still can't get over those fears.

"I can never stop thinking that maybe today Izzy won't make it home from school, or something will happen at Magnus' meeting with the Shadowhunters, who knows? Maybe their tolerance will have finally run out and what would we do then? Or maybe the next person who finds out about us won't be a friend and we'll have to start running all over again.

"Yet all of that, it's nothing on you, Jace. You... You terrify me."

"Me?" Jace muttered. His lips clamped together as if the word had been unintentional.

"More than anything else in the world. I know monsters, I've been dealing with them my whole life, and I'll always be afraid of what they can do - but you? When I met you it was like everything was suddenly right with the world and that moment of peace was more frightening than any chaos I've lived through. I'm scared of getting closer to you because of how close we were so instantly."

Laying his heart bare for Jace to see was no more terrifying than the first time their eyes had locked and he'd finally met tranquility.

His words were heavy with meaning, more than he was sure Jace had in return, but there was a warm glow in his eyes as if he might be wrong.

"I understand." His voice was thick with emotion and his smile was sweet; a side of Jace he adored and saw little of in these current trying times.

"Do you really?"

"Yeah, I do." Jace sighed softly and he tilted his head up to look at the stars rather than Alec, "Valentine had a hand in my upbringing even before my parents died. I showed promise at a young age and he wanted to be involved. My father was submissive and my mother was weak from illness; he had full reign over my studies and training. He tried to tell me how loving people was a weakness, that the people you love will ultimately destroy you. I didn't understand. I was young, I'd only ever loved my parents and the way he would talk about Jocelyn made me believe he'd loved her before she betrayed him."

The silence grew long enough that Alec made himself ask. "And then?"

Jace moved his gaze from the sky back to Alec, his smile gone, "And then he killed my parents. When I was in mourning he told me that that was my punishment for loving them. That my tears were my penance. Then he took me in and tried to mold me into his perfect little soldier. He said if I channeled the anguish of my parents' death into anger it would make me stronger, somehow. It made it hard to love anyone after that, not that Valentine would be an easy person to love in the first place. I was scared he might be right and scared of what he might do if I find someone else worth loving.

"This is, of course, the same man who taught me that Downworlders should be eradicated. That they would all succumb to their demonic instincts eventually, and we were protecting the mundanes by removing these dangers. All I knew about Magnus Bane was that he was considered one of the few genuine threats to the Circle with the extent of his powers being unknown, but when I met him I had to rethink everything I had ever been told about him and Downworlders as a whole.

"Getting to see how much he loves you and Isabelle and how much pride he has for everything that you do forced me to face reality. I've seen him cry and despite being told my whole life that it's a sign of weakness it seemed instead that loving someone enough to mourn their loss was something to take strength from. Valentine threw his own _parabatai_ to the wolves out of petty anger and then wants me to see Magnus as the monster? When I look him in the eyes for just a moment I can see more humanity there than Valentine has ever shown in all the years I've known him.

"So. If Valentine can have such horribly wrong ideas about Downworlders, why not love too?"

Jace placed his hand palm up on Alec's knee, the invitation clear. Their eyes met and there was silence for a long while. Slowly Alec's hand met his and their fingers intertwined, the warmth of comfort flowing between them.

"I'm willing to try if you are," Jace said softly.

They had spent so long avoiding this sort of conversation; talking about feelings was not something either of them thought necessary nor really cared for, actions tended to be so much louder, but with everything they shared hanging in the air between them, Alec wondered why they had waited. Getting to know Jace in a way he knew he didn't share with anyone else made his skin tingle with joy.

Jace always had a way of making him happy whether it was awful flirting or heartfelt childhood stories and Alec couldn't imagine living his life without that anymore. They had their fair share of stupid fights, but Jace was like coming home and that only made it more real to him.

Without another moment's hesitation, Alec leaned forward and pressed his lips against Jace's in a kiss that was unhurried and gentle. He felt Jace wrap an arm around his waist to pull him closer and he easily fell into it, letting his own hands wander to his shoulders and clench at his leather jacket.

He wouldn't have wanted this moment to have happened any sooner. Now he knew for a certainty that he was ready to give everything of himself without being pulled back by doubts. Their kiss was slow to make up for months of lost time and as a promise for what was to come. It wasn't a passionate kiss; it was a conversation done through tender touches. There was no hurry to take things any further than the melding of lips and the steady rising heat between their bodies.

Once they parted for breath they met each other's gazes. Alec took note of Jace's blown pupils, pink cheeks, and glistening lips and wondered as he leaned back in for another kiss if he would ever want to stop. If he _could_.

His thumb brushed across his jaw before moving his hand up to card his fingers through his hair and he felt him shiver against him. Never having kissed before he let Jace take the lead and moved in sync with him, parting his lips when prompted. Jace's grip on his waist grew tighter and Alec let himself be pulled halfway into his lap.

When they finally stopped for more than a brief moment they couldn't have said how long they'd spent just kissing, but by then their lips were puffy and bright red and they needed a minute to catch their breath.

"That was... nice," Alec said wanting to break the silence that had settled on them. He was still breathing hard and his fingers were tingling, but altogether he felt very pleasant.

Jace laughed, eyes bright and smile blinding. Alec wondered how he could have ever denied himself this.

"It was nice indeed," He agreed with the hint of laughter attached to his tone, "I'm going to take that as a ' _yeah totally I'll be your boyfriend_ '." He deepened his voice in a terrible imitation of Alec.

"I suppose you could see it that way." Alec brushed their lips together softly and only drew back far enough to say, "we should head to bed, it's getting late. No insinuation intended."

"You sure?" Jace teased.

"I'm sure." Alec stood and let his hands slip into Jace's to pull him up, "what if I said I wanted to wait 'til marriage?"

"Then I'd say, Alec Lightwood, will you-"

"Oh, shut up." A tight hold of his arms kept him from falling down to one knee as he could never avoid the temptation to take a joke as far as possible. It still had him blushing and he couldn't find it in himself to let out any real harshness in his words. "Let's go, you weirdo."

The fire had mostly died down and he dumped the remainders of a water bottle over the sparks to extinguish it fully. They then crawled into their tent and slipped off their shoes and into their pajamas. It was comfortable, much more so than normal camping according to Jace who gave a happy sigh upon falling onto the mattress and fluffy blankets. They slid under the covers which were quickly pushed down to their knees due to it being too warm.

They lay facing each other, their hands resting on the blanket between them not quite touching but aching to. The moon's brightness shone through the thin material of the tent and made it easy for them to see each other.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long."

"I would have waited forever if that's what you wanted."

"Don't say that," Alec muttered. He was always willing to give devotion but was taken aback when it was thrown his way.

Only the late night hours bore witness to the kiss Jace pressed to his lips in response.

**_2._ **

They traveled around for two more weeks before returning home. Alec immediately told his sister and Magnus about him and Jace, as there was no point hiding something so obvious from them and he felt no need to do so, and that left them open to enjoy and explore this new level of their relationship.

They spent two days at the quarry, lounging by the water and soaking in the sun. Then they breezed through city to city, Alec couldn't name the individual towns but they were somewhere in Northern Ireland, then in New Zealand, then Trinidad, and lastly, Chile. Magnus was purposely avoiding large cities, wanting to keep their locations quiet and more rural. Alec would normally find it odd for him, as he typically basked in the hustle and bustle of busy life, but he could understand the need to be surrounded by peace before inevitably returning to the chaos of New York.

The rest of their vacation was trouble-free, no fights, no demons, no unwanted attention.

Returning home was hard and melancholic. Alec didn't mind as much as the others; despite having his family by his side he'd begun to grow restless, though he still felt a touch of sadness when stepping through the final portal that lead to their living room.

Home. Nothing had changed, their things were exactly as they'd left them. Magnus had sent a fire message to Catarina that morning to advise of their return and she'd stopped by to bring back Chairman Meow who she'd been in charge of cat-sitting. He came up to greet them with a loud meow. On the counter with his carrier was a note Magnus moved to read.

Jace left his things by the front door with no intention of going back to the Institute any time soon and followed Alec to his room where he dumped his bags next to the bed. He had no motivation to start unpacking and simply dropped on his bed with a heavy sigh. His room was almost as bare as the day he'd moved in, the only signs of his presence were a few sweaters tossed in the corner and a framed picture of him and his sister on the dresser that Magnus had given to him as a gift when he'd turned fifteen. Yet it was still his and there was no place more comfortable.

He rolled onto his back and gestured for Jace to join him. It had been a sudden change going from the occasional casual touches to the more obvious intimate touching and it had taken some adjusting, but by now he relished in being able to pull him into a cuddle while knowing it was as wanted by his other half. Jace slipped in next to him, laying his head on his shoulder and throwing a lazy arm across his waist.

"Excited to get back to the Institute?"

Jace groaned, "I'd rather face that Hellhound again."

He'd left the Institute with a ' _goodbye_ ' and ' _be back whenever_ ', his return would be unexpected and an irritation to both parties. Alec understood the necessity for keeping his defection from the Circle a secret; what with the Circle not actually knowing he had no loyalty to them despite their suspicions.

"I'd ask you to stay, but..."

Jace's ring had traveled from Rhode Island to Massachusetts to Connecticut, and then finally back to New York. They didn't want the ring sitting at home for too long without them in case Valentine decided to send another message their way. They couldn't be certain that he wasn't aware that the ring was moving without the wearer, but it had been the safest way they could think to make it travel in a logical pattern.

"Valentine will come for me soon, I can sense it. Better I be where he expects me to be."

"What if he sends another demon after you?"

"Then we kill it. We managed it last time, we can do it again. I don't think he will though, to be honest. He sent that demon after me because he knew I was slacking. Why else would I be so far from the Institute? I haven't sent him a message in almost two months and he knows I'm alive, he's not going to be that lenient a second time. If he still believes I'm not performing he's going to call me back to the Circle and kill me himself."

"And you would go back?"

"I don't know."

"Oh." He didn't want to start that conversation. Jace reacted oddly when talking about Valentine, a mix of hatred and grudging respect for the person who had raised him. They wouldn't agree on whether or not he should confront Valentine; Jace wanted him dead and Alec wanted Jace alive. Those two ideas rarely seemed to coincide. "Stay the night?"

"Wasn't planning on leaving." Jace propped himself up on his elbow and placed a leg between his to lay on top of him. He smirked before pressing their lips together for a short kiss that quickly grew heated.

His arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him to his chest, fingers passing over the top of his skinny jeans to the skin beneath the edge of his shirt. Alec loved the Shadowhunter gear that Jace always wore, the material was soft and form-fitting and suited him just as much as his leather jacket. They hadn't done much more than kiss and cuddle, but this feeling of closeness was quickly growing familiar.

It was while Jace was kissing his way down his neck that there was a knock on the door. Alec groaned at the interruption, but the two boys sat up and fixed their hair and clothes to look presentable. It was certainly Magnus, as his sister had never gotten the hang of knocking, and he wouldn't make him wait. He called him in and stepped off the bed to meet him at the door.

Magnus leaned against the doorframe with a pinched expression on his face and a note in his hands. It was the one Catarina had left on the table, Alec could recognize her delicate scrawls from the numerous ingredient and to-do lists she'd send Magnus' way. He said nothing, lips parting briefly as if to speak but closing as quickly when nothing came to mind. Alec frowned and took the note from him.

It was short and sweet, as Catarina liked things best. A phrase about how Chairman Meow had behaved well, another to say that she'd put his food, treats, and litter box where they belonged, and a final few words asking Magnus to call her.

' _Call me as soon as you can._

_I'm sorry._ '

"What did she have to say?" Alec asked, handing the note back. The last two words brought dread to the pit of his stomach.

Alec could tell Magnus was trying to form the words, as difficult for him to say them as it would be for him to hear them.

"There was an attack," His heart dropped and for a split second he wanted to stop him from continuing on, but he couldn't bring forth the protest before Magnus was speaking again, "at the headquarters of the Praetor Lupus. There were no survivors. I'm so sorry, Alec."

The room spun and he felt sick. His throat felt sore as if he'd screamed, and he'd wanted to, but he simply stood there quietly unable to believe what he'd heard. It couldn't be possible. The world seemed so loud, so cold, so frightening all of a sudden. Was he breathing? Inhale, exhale. His eyes burned but he couldn't cry. He would not cry over something that couldn't have happened.

The room fell into place once Magnus stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug that was too tight, but tight enough to help him draw his focus. Alec's hands were hanging loosely by his side with no strength to return the gesture, but he leaned his weight against him to show it was wanted. Magnus ran a hand up and down his back and he slowly remembered how to breathe.

"I'm sorry," Magnus repeated.

He felt a hand on his wrist and knew without looking that it was Jace's show of support.

"How is that even possible?" He asked since Alec couldn't, "Valentine's been after them for years and was never even close to finding their base."

Before answering, Magnus extracted himself from Alec and guided him to the bed to sit down. He sat next to him and looked over at Jace who remained standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest, a show of defiance that Alec wished he could bring himself to feel.

"We can't know for sure, but everyone's best guess is that Valentine got a hold of one of their members and got the location from him. A werewolf stationed in India called Parvati Suresh went missing not long after we left and the attack happened a couple of weeks ago."

"That's... that's awful. I'm sorry." Jace knew they both must have lost friends in the attack, he couldn't imagine their sorrow.

Magnus smiled shakily and didn't say anything else. He appreciated the words, but it was one of those situations where speaking would likely only make things harder. He rubbed Alec's back and gave him time to digest the information. He was staring at the floor and it took a minute before he could look up and meet his gaze.

"Did you tell Izzy?" He asked, voice hushed.

"No, not yet."

"Don't. Let her have tonight and I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Okay," Magnus agreed. He brushed his hand across his cheek and settled at the base of his neck, "Anything I can do to help?"

"You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine."

"I always worry about you, darling. It comes with the job." Alec forced a smile, "I'll leave you two alone. Come find me if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you."

Magnus left the room and the two boys. Alec always handled difficult situations better in silence, he didn't do well with coddling no matter how much Magnus wanted to shield and hide him from the world. With a brave face, he returned to Isabelle pretending nothing was wrong.

Alec crawled onto the other side of the bed and wordlessly pat the spot next to him in an invitation for Jace to join him. He lay on his side and curled against Jace once he slid in next to him. Arms wrapped around him and he buried his face in his neck. The mix of Jace's warmth and the smell of his leather jacket that clung to his shirts helped calm his mind and push back the burning behind his eyes from the unshed tears.

"I want in," Alec said suddenly into the silence.

"In what?" Jace drew back only far enough for their eyes to meet.

"I want in on your plan to kill Valentine."

Jace stared at him for a long moment, gauging the seriousness of his words by the steel in his eyes. He nodded once and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What you've all been waiting for... aaaand things are heating up! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the comments on the last chapter, I truly appreciate it. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I'd love to hear from you :)


	15. And Who Will Join The Fight

**_1._ **

Jace didn't have a plan, per say, more of an idea and determination, but with Alec's strength added to his own, he was able to sit down and think about what he wanted to happen. As a Shadowhunter who's entire life had revolved around danger he didn't think twice about Alec joining him. That someone he cared about would be in danger was normal for their people and it wasn't his place to deny him. Alec wasn't going to back down, his resolve to stay out of trouble had faded away with attack after attack and the only relief would be the knowledge of _trying_.

It was on the third day after their return that Jace received a fire message from Valentine asking about his progress. He showed it to Alec and they wrote up an ambiguous reply with the intent to tide him over until they could decide how they wanted to proceed.

"The biggest issue is deciding how many people we want to involve," Jace was explaining to Alec over tea on the balcony, "It'll be a lot harder if it's only the two of us. Valentine won't leave his base so we'll have to go to him. There's no chance of being sneaky; we'll need the manpower to fight off the other circle members head to head before even getting to him."

"If it was possible to waltz in through the front door and fight our way through it would have been done by now. We have to find another way to get to him."

"Using the Mortal Cup as leverage is a no-go since we have no idea where it is and our only leads are in Valentine's hands. Trying to stealth our way in is impossible with the wards Valentine has on that place. Not that I could point it out on a map anyways; the windows are glamoured to look like we're on an ocean from the inside and we can only get in the building by portaling into a designated room."

"Seems pretty hopeless." Alec pointed out and with a sigh moved on, "I don't know that I'd be comfortable involving anyone else. I couldn't stand someone getting hurt because we asked them to trust in some harebrained scheme."

"If you don't think we can win then we shouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. I'm not sending either of us out there if you're assuming we're going to die."

"Fair point. I suppose I could rally a few Downworlders together, I've got some friends around the city and Magnus knows a lot of people. If we have a plan worth supporting I don't see us having too much difficulty. We just have to be cautious about how we do it; we don't want the wrong people finding out about this."

"Do you think Magnus would-" Alec's lips pursed, "he's very powerful and could really help us out."

"I know. I know he'll help, he wouldn't let me do this without him. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Have you told him yet?"

Alec shook his head, "No, but I will. I wanted something a bit more fleshed out first, but I think we're going to need his advice on how to go about this."

"That's a good idea. I'm going to keep thinking about a plan. For now, how about lunch?"

"I want something greasy and disgusting."

"Deal."

Jace grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Their discussion was forgotten in favour of food and the false sense of security that came with daylight.

_**2.** _

"Do you have a minute?"

Alec lead Magnus outside to chat. Isabelle had sprawled herself throughout the living room with her summer homework and he figured the balcony would give them some necessary privacy. He sat sideways on the red loveseat and pushed a matching cushion between his back and the sofa's wooden arms. Magnus took the free space by his side, leaving one foot on the ground and tucking up his other leg to turn towards Alec.

"What is it, darling?"

"I'm going to help Jace take down Valentine." He said it confidently, but his face instantly fell into a more hesitant expression, "Or well, try to, anyways."

"Oh." Magnus clasped his hands together tightly in his lap, a way to keep them steady as the words hit him like a blow to the chest, "Is that so?" His tone was wispy, forced words to break the silence.

"Yes. We're working on a plan right now. We don't have much time before Valentine calls him back to their base," Alec said. He crossed his legs and curled his fingers around his ankles. He tried to seem passive about it but was aware he was failing spectacularly. Magnus could always see right through him.

"I see. Is this about the _Praetor Lupus_? You know there was nothing any of us could have done, we-"

"I know that. I'm not blaming myself for it. Do I wish I'd thought to do something before it got that far? Sure, yes, of course I do."

"Alec..."

"But that's not why I'm doing this. If Valentine could get to the _Praetor Lupus_ , how long until he gets to us? They were supposed to be invincible, Magnus!"

"And what about Isabelle?" He asked calmly.

"All this taught me is that she isn't safe either way. If we don't do something now, it's only a matter of time until it's too late. I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing and Valentine got his hands on you and Izzy. I can't imagine what he'd do to you both, and I don't want to. I'd rather die for justice than vengeance."

Magnus leaned forward and took his hands in his, "And what if I ask you not to? I can take you, Isabelle, and Jace and we can go live in the middle of some forest no one knows about. I am perfectly capable of taking care of all of you." There were tears in his eyes caused by thoughts of more loss.

"You wouldn't be High Warlock if it was that easy for you to leave your people behind," Alec said with a watery smile, "I have to do this, Magnus, you know that as well as I do."

"I do. You wouldn't be the Alec I love if you weren't selfless to a fault." He pat his cheek, reddened by modesty, and his pride shone in his tone, "Of course you know I'm going to help as much as I can. How's that plan coming along?"

"It's a work in progress. The issue is finding out how many people will want to help. I don't like involving any of our friends, but I know a few would be insulted if I left them out," he said with the hint of a grin.

"Terribly insulted, I'm sure. Find out how many people you need and we can meet the number. You're not the only one who'd rather try their hands at being the predator and not the prey for once. Next time Jace is over we can take some time to talk things over and come up with a plan. In the meantime, you should call up some people to see who you can get interested in helping us out and I can do the same."

"I will. Thank you, Magnus."

Alec uncrossed his legs and moved forward to hug him. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and released a heavy sigh. With his support they could do anything, he told himself. It suddenly seemed a lot less impossible.

**_3._ **

Over the past three and some odd years of living with Magnus, Alec had made many friends in the Downworld. From werewolves to vampires, to warlocks. Fairies were a bit more on the fickle side and he tended to stay away from them though he had his fair share of acquaintances.

His thumb brushed up and his phone cycled through his rather short contact list.

There were names he knew would answer his call; Luke, Raphael, Lily, Maia, Catarina, friends of friends with loved ones they would fight and die for.

There were names who could not answer his call; Ragnor, Jordan, innocent people who'd left the world by Valentine's hands. He hadn't yet found the strength to remove their entries for fear of forgetting.

In between all those names, there were his sister, his guardian, and his boyfriend. He didn't hold many people dear to his heart the way he did them, but with people dying left, right, and center he preferred it that way.

All those who answered his call agreed to fight with him; they would wait for a plan and further instructions, but gave him a number of people they could gather to join him.

Was it supposed to be that easy to amass an army? He didn't have thousands of warriors, but even so, knowing he was to order a couple dozen men to fight for him made his skin prickle. There was no denying that it made him feel powerful, but it was greatly overshadowed by his fear of failure.

His belief that he _could_ fail was one key difference between him and Valentine.

**_4._ **

"I have a plan!"

Jace rushed through the front door with dark bags under his eyes and his hair disheveled from the run to their home. He didn't bother to knock any more, having been welcomed as a mostly permanent guest. He spent most nights at their place; mostly to be with Alec and partially to avoid being murdered in his sleep by Elijah Whitelaw. As it was, he'd surprised all of them since it was before noon and they were only expecting him later that evening.

"Um, hi?" Alec slipped off the couch and met him by the door, leaning down for a greeting kiss.

Isabelle briefly looked up from her textbook but judged it to be the more interesting of the two and Magnus didn't even turn away from his brewing table. Jace wondered if he should be offended by the disinterest, but rather he took it as a sign of flattery that they didn't mind him barging into their home loudly and unannounced.

"I have a plan," he repeated.

Alec nodded, "So I heard."

Jace took the necessary time to place his shoes neatly next to the door and hang his jacket on the coat rack.

"Do you want to-" Alec pointed towards the hall which lead to his room. They typically talked either in his room or on the balcony for some privacy. He had told his sister about everything, had met her teary pout with conviction and she hadn't said a word, but that didn't mean he wanted to talk about it around her any more than necessary.

"No, no, I want to explain the plan to all of you at once," Jace said, plopping down on a sofa adjacent to where Isabelle was sitting.

At the words Magnus put down the potion he was working on and also wandered over to them to take a seat.

Alec hesitated, "Why?"

"Because you're going to hate my plan and they're more likely to listen to me." Jace met his gaze with a grin, although Alec spotted the hint of unease in it too.

"Well, I say no proactively and say we should think of something else." Alec ventured over to the chair opposite Jace but didn't sit down. He frowned at him, trying to decipher what aspect of the plan Jace knew he'd disagree with but thought worth fighting for anyways.

"All we're doing is talking about it, there's no harm in that."

"Uh huh."

"Alexander, this one seems pretty determined so we may as well hear him out," Magnus reasoned and he sighed in resignation. He took his seat and crossed his arms.

"Go on then, what's the plan?"

"Okay, so the idea is this. Now, none of you are going to like it, but just let me explain my thinking here. The only way Valentine will let me go back to the base of my own accord is if I've completed my task. I tell him I've captured Magnus and he'll open a portal to the base. It leads into this small room on the second floor of the manor. I go in with Magnus-"

"No, that's-" Alec interrupted but Magnus cut him off in turn.

"That would be my decision. Continue, Jace." It wasn't harsh, but it was stern. Alec closed his mouth and said nothing else.

"Yeah, so we go in together and confront Valentine. He'll talk for a while about my terrible performance, etc. In the meantime, if we can capture that portal it'd be the perfect opportunity for Alec to follow with everyone else. I'm guessing we'd need about 30 people or so to face the Circle members. They're usually about 15 to 20 people at the base at one time."

"There are a few gaps, but it sounds doable," Magnus said.

"Exactly! Our best chance is that portal and the only way he'll open it without a bunch of guards is if I'm completing my mission and bringing him Magnus. The thing is..." There it was, the drop Alec was waiting for, "Valentine won't be happy with me simply completing my mission. I've been gone way too long to be reasonable, he's going to have doubts about my intentions, and he'll likely assume I'm planning something. The only way to make my time here make sense is if there was something that caught my attention."

"Like what?" Isabelle asked. Her eyes were steady in concentration as she took in every word he spoke and thought over the specifics of the plan. If she had the chance to listen in on the plan that would risk her brother's life she'd make sure it was a damn good one.

He hesitated, "I need to bring something else to the table. And that something is you."

Alec's response was instant, "Not happening. We're not involving my sister. No if's, and's, or but's."

"It's the only-"

"No, Jace. This isn't a discussion." Alec stood in frustration.

Isabelle leaned over to him and grabbed his arm. She tugged him until he sat back down, but his glare was still fixed on Jace. He seemed offended he'd even consider it an option.

She raised her voice to turn their attention to her, "What exactly would I have to do?"

"Izzy!" Her brother fumed but she shushed him.

"My idea is that I simply tell Valentine I have Magnus and a surprise. The mystery will intrigue him and he'll want to know what I'm talking about. When the portal is opened I go through with both of you and bring you to Valentine. Actually bringing him Magnus will make him co-operative, and when I introduce you it'll make him talk. He'll want to know where you came from, what happened to your mother, things like that. It'll keep him occupied long enough for Alec to sneak in with the others. He won't hurt you; you're a runeless Shadowhunter and if you act wary and timid he'll have no reason to doubt you."

"But they'll both be right in his hands. Why not use me instead? He doesn't even know she exists, there's no reason to put her at risk when we don't have to," Alec said.

"Because I need you to stay behind to lead our allies. We're asking several groups of people who hate each other to fight by our side, we can't have just anyone leading them. It needs to be you or we risk there being a fallout, or something avoidable going wrong. And... I don't trust anyone else to have my back the way you will."

Their eyes met and to the two people watching it seemed as if a whole conversation passed in the silence. Alec looked away, admitting defeat though his arms remained crossed in defiance.

"I'm okay with doing that if it'll help. I mean if Jace thinks we'll be okay, and Magnus will be okay too, right?" Isabelle asked.

"Yes. You'll be just the way you are now; you look completely harmless and no one will have any reason to lay a hand on you. As for you, Magnus, I'd have to bring you in the handcuffs he gave me, but we only have to deactivate the rune and you'll be able to use your magic. Valentine wants you alive to wake up Jocelyne, you'll be safe until backup comes in. At that point, you'll probably have to fight, but from what I've heard you're perfectly capable of holding your own, so I'm not worried about that."

"And what if we lose? What if they overpower us? We'd be handing them to him on a silver platter."

"That's a risk, yes, but there's going to be risks no matter what plan we come up with. This is... this is our best bet, I can't think of anything else that'll get us all in there with the element of surprise."

Alec's jaw clenched with the words he wanted to say but wouldn't, and finally, he turned to Magnus, "What do you think?"

"Ah, well. Hm." He was startled by the sudden inclusion having been deep in thought. He threw an arm over the back of the sofa to angle his body towards Alec. He sighed, "I feel the way you do about including Isabelle, but I can't deny that it's a very solid plan. We have what no one else has ever had before; we have someone from the inside for guidance and a chance at surprise. I think that at this point it'd be a waste not to try."

"I see," Alec nodded then turned his steady gaze back to Jace, "What would he do to them? If we lose and they're stuck there. I need to know."

This was where Jace hesitated the most, but ultimately he swallowed thickly and told the truth, "Magnus would be used to wake up Jocelyn, with or without his consent. He has this serum he uses to control warlocks. I don't know what it is or how it works, but it's effective. As you saw with your friend Dorothea. Then I suppose he'd keep him around to use for spells and such until the serum kills him. As for Isabelle..." He paused to think then averted his gaze for his next words, "He'd probably leave her with your father, get her runed and trained. He wouldn't kill her; he's always looking to add Shadowhunters to his cause."

"I'd prefer death," Isabelle said bitterly.

"Don't say that!" Alec scolded.

Magnus rubbed a hand down his face with a tired look in his eyes.

"But it's true! You losing means you'd be dead, and Jace too, and Magnus would be a prisoner, and I'd rather be dead!" She stood and shouted. And suddenly she was crying.

"Clearly this was a terrible idea," Alec said coldly. His eyes were trained on his sister, worry etched into his frown.

Magnus stood next before anyone else could speak, "I think emotions are running a bit high right now. How about we stop for now and reconvene later? You two boys can go training and let off some steam, and Isabelle can help me finish my potion. How's that for a plan?"

The air was quiet and he took it as agreement. He went around to Isabelle and guided her to his brewing table. He had her sit on a stool and handed her some tissues as she quieted down.

Alec met Jace's gaze and with a nod that spoke for them they accepted the offer of a breather and left the loft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the response to the last chapter! It really means a lot to know you enjoyed it :) And I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, they really do mean a lot.


	16. Figuring Things Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick f.y.i as a reminder that I mix stuff from the books and show. I mention in this chapter that Alec and Robert look alike, and that's something pulled from the books.
> 
> Enjoy :)

**_1._ **

"Are you alright?" Magnus asked once the door had closed behind Alec and Jace. He sat on the stool next to her and left his hands in his lap. He wanted to reach out and comfort her but refrained as much like her brother she didn't like to cry and would prefer a moment to compose herself.

"I'm fine," She said, voice shaking to show the lie in her words, "The idea of defeating Valentine is great and all, but when the _what if_ 's start up it's... scary. I don't want anyone else to die."

"That's completely reasonable. Nobody wants to know their loved ones are in danger, especially not on purpose."

She sniffled and went through a couple tissues. She rubbed her eyes and wiped her glasses clean; she was stalling for time. Magnus waited patiently for her to speak, and she did once she felt that she wouldn't cry again.

"I don't want to be left behind," she admitted, "If you all go without me, I'm left here waiting for you guys to come home... Or not, I guess."

"Does that mean you want to join the mission?" Magnus asked curiously. He kept his tone soft and accommodating to any response she'd share.

"I think so. I don't want you guys to go without me, but I also don't want to be stuck with Valentine and my dad if it goes wrong. I agree that the plan is decent, but there isn't an out for us. If we all go into his base and things don't go according to plan, we're all stuck there. There's no getting out. I don't want him to turn you into some sort of slave. And what would he do to Alec? Or Jace? He'd kill Alec, wouldn't he? I... I'm scared. That's all," she finished with a sense of finality. No matter how she phrased it, in the end, it was simply fear.

Now that her tears had stopped Magnus reached out and ran a hand up and down her back to soothe her, "Do you want to know something? I'm scared too. Whether we go through with this or not, there's a lot of scary out in the world. I worry about you and Alec every day. Even if you're just at school, or he's just training with Jace, I can never feel completely secure in your safety. And I think I would feel that way even if Valentine weren't alive today. That's the problem with caring about people, and there's no shame in that. That's what makes us human."

"Shadowhunters don't think they're human."

Magnus smiled softly, "Some of them remember they are."

"I guess so." She let out a heavy sigh, "We should do this, it's the right thing to do. Someone has to fight and no one else will."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. None of us are going to make you do this. You can stay with Catarina while we go, and she would look after you if something were to happen to us."

"I know she would. But Jace knows Valentine best, if he thinks I'm needed as a distraction then he's probably right. And I'll do my part."

"Okay," Magnus knew one stubborn Lightwood only meant another and he wouldn't change her mind, "And you're sure you're alright?" She nodded and smiled and he knew that was the end of that, "Alright then. Let me put your hair back and we'll finish up this potion."

He braided her hair and her smile turned bright. There would be no more tears; she had accepted their fates.

**_2._ **

Jace and Alec went to their usual training area; the inside of an underground tomb that seconded as a weapon cache for Shadowhunters. The walk was spent in silence and once there they fell into their own steady rhythm without saying anything. Alec was thinking, mind whirling with questions and frustration and the comments he would stop himself from saying. Jace meant no harm; he couldn't take his anger out in words.

They started with dual blades. Alec had progressed from harmless staffs to various swords and daggers relatively quickly. As fast as expected, according to Jace.

"Focus!"

He was particularly sloppy that day, finding himself unable to fully lose himself in their sparring. Jace snapped at him and he tried to obey. It didn't work and in normal circumstances, Jace would be much harder on him for not paying attention, but this time he let him be and he was grateful for the reprieve.

When his inattention got to the point of being almost dangerous Jace suggested they switch to hand to hand combat and he shrugged and threw aside his weapons in acquiescence. There was sweat dripping down his back and his breath was coming heavy, he was fatigued although they hadn't done much. He was hitting harder and wasting strength in a way that he could tell Jace wanted to scold.

Being so close was probably not the best idea for productivity. They were only properly focused for a few minutes. Once Jace knocked Alec onto the floor and he settled over him, the idea of training was gone.

"Know what to do here?" Jace quipped, pulling a dagger from his boot and placing it near his neck.

Alec smirked. This time he did what they both wanted and propped himself on his elbows, Jace's hand moving with him to keep from cutting him, and he pressed their lips together. Alec slowly returned to the floor and Jace followed, doing his best to keep the kiss from breaking.

There was a clang as Jace dropped his dagger and it hit the cement floor.

One hand tangled into his blond hair and the other rested in between his shoulder blades where his fingers curled into his shirt. Jace had straddled him and his knees were pressed into his hips. Their kisses were hungry; mostly tongue and teeth and wandering hands in a way to burn through their frustrations.

"Are you mad at me?" Jace asked breathlessly, parting only long enough to ask the question before pressing his lips next into the hollow of his throat.

"No, not... not mad," he said, equally breathless. His head fell back and his eyes slipped shut; it was hard to think when Jace seemed to be everywhere at once. Against his body, lips and hands leaving trails of heat as they moved to the next available skin, and wrapped around his mind making it difficult to remember what they'd even been talking about. "Just... don't know."

"I'm sorry I upset you and Isabelle. I just wanted to come up with the best plan, you know? We don't have to do it if you don't want to. I'll keep thinking, and-"

Alec shushed him, "No talking, only kissing." The hand in his hair tugged him up and back to his lips.

He couldn't stand to talk about it right now, and Jace took the hint. There was plenty of talking once they made their way off the floor and back to the loft, but at that moment he only needed to feel him and forget everything else for a little while.

**_3._ **

All four of them sat around the coffee table to further discuss the plan once Alec and Jace returned. They'd taken a couple of hours and by then everyone had calmed and settled into the idea of what they wanted to do. Isabelle convinced her brother she was fine and willing to do whatever was necessary, and he accepted her decision after a long solemn silence on his part.

Magnus snapped his fingers and a photo appeared between his thumb and index finger; he placed it on the table for them to see, and then he asked, "Aside from Valentine here, who do you expect will be at the base once we arrive?"

Alec brought the photograph closer, inspecting the man who'd caused so much anguish. He'd never had a face to put to the name before. The image was captured from one of Magnus' memories; they must have been having some sort of conversation as Valentine was simply standing there with disgust on his face and blade loose in his grip.

"There are a few people that Valentine prefers to keep close that will definitely be there," Jace started, his brow furrowing in thought, "Hodge Starkweather, Malachi Dieudonné, Samuel Blackwell, Anson and Emil Pangborn, Keisha Treeborn, Patrick Penhallow..."

As he gave their names Magnus continued creating images out of his memories. Some were clearly older, their faces young and smiling while those newer held sneers and battle scars.

Jace hesitated, "And Robert Lightwood. He'll definitely be there."

Other than Valentine's image, Alec had only skimmed over the others as their names meant nothing to him. Yet he had to grab his father's out of interest.

Isabelle leaned over to look, "Huh," she huffed with a start, "you look like him."

He bristled at the comparison but there was no denying the similarities. He'd gotten his father's height, slim figure, and face structure. Isabelle had always reminded him of their mother, and he'd struggled to see himself in her at all, aside maybe from the stubborn streak Magnus constantly brought up, but in this case, he'd rather believe he'd taken no traits from his parents than to know it was from his father's side.

The way Jace avoided his gaze told him he'd noticed that too; maybe it had been a helping factor in him figuring out he was Robert's son. Alec didn't reply to the comment. He tossed the photograph onto the coffee table and didn't look at it again.

"Other than these guys I'd expect maybe another handful of Shadowhunters. He doesn't like having too many people around at one time. I always assumed it was a security thing, in case of a rebellion or something, but it could also just be that he doesn't like people enough. Either way, it's good for us."

"Should we expect any surprises from these people?" Alec asked.

"They're all well trained. Emil is sixteen and the least experienced. Everyone else has been around for a while, but Hodge and Robert have been a part of the Circle since it was formed twenty or so years ago. Hodge trains a lot of the new members, he's very skilled with staffs and hand-to-hand combat. He's devoted to Valentine but I wouldn't put it past him to run off if his life is at risk. I haven't actually seen Robert fight, but I imagine he must be skilled enough if Valentine keeps him around. He's..."

"He's a coward," Alec stated matter-of-factly.

"Well... yes."

"He should have left with our mother, but he didn't because he was a coward. I have no memories of him, but I know the kind of person he is. You don't need to sugar coat it."

"I, yeah, okay." Jace had wanted to be kind, but Alec was not looking for kindness. "I don't expect much of a fight from him, to be honest. If we go for a two to one or three to one ratio we should be able to defeat all of them."

"Sounds about right." Alec was thinking of his father, and from the look in his sister's eyes, he assumed she was doing the same.

Their mother hadn't spoken about him much when they were younger. They knew his name and that he had chosen to stay behind with the Circle rather than join her in her escape. It was enough to know about someone.

They didn't stay on the topic of Robert Lightwood for long. Jace moved on to the other steps of their plan, ironing out details with help from all of them. There was talk about positioning, portals, weapons, allies, and making sure every step of it was as flawless as they could make it. None of them were willing to risk all their lives on a plan that wasn't as close to foolproof as was possible.

The sun was slipping behind the horizon by the time they were fully decided on every part of the plan and they had gone over dozens of scenarios where things went wrong.

When the sky was dark Jace wrote his letter to Valentine and sent it off in flames.

Step one complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the positivity on the last couple of chapters!
> 
> I'll likely be uploading a bit faster. I had a bit of writer's block, but I'm nearly done chapter 23, and then I just have the final chapter after that which won't be a long one.
> 
> I look forward to hearing what you all think of this chapter and what's to come :)


	17. All The Little Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shorter chappie for you guys, but things will start picking up next chappie :)

_**1.**_ _Three Days Left..._

Magnus summoned the magical handcuffs and presented them to Jace while making sure not to touch them. There was a complicated pattern of runes etched into the metal which would cut off a warlock's flow of magic to their hands. He didn't like to be near that kind of magic. It was a Shadowhunter's invention and seemed darker than anything a warlock's magic could do.

"It shouldn't be too hard to break this..." Jace pulled a needle out of the side of his boot and scratched a line through one of the runes on the underside of the cuff. The line was thin enough it would be near impossible to see from any normal distances, but he never underestimated Valentine and put it somewhere he wouldn't be able to see at all. "I'm pretty sure this thing only works when all the runes are in sync with each other, so breaking one should do the trick. Can you test it?"

"I suppose I must."

He grabbed the edge of the handcuffs between his thumb and index finger and dropped it on his lap. With a deep breath, he unclasped one side with a spark of magic; there was a lock on it with no matching key, the only ways to open it were the open rune or magic. Magnus carefully wrapped it around his left wrist and snapped it shut.

He'd never actually been victim to this kind of magic before, but he felt no different and assumed it was truly broken. To test it, his snapped his fingers on his left hand and a little blue flame floated over his palm. He was glad he didn't have to know what it felt like to be cut from his magic.

With another snap, the handcuff was unlocked again and he tossed it on the table without another glance.

"Glad that worked. You alright?" Jace asked cautiously.

"It's hard not to wonder who wore those last. That's all."

"Oh. I haven't. Used them on anyone, I mean."

"I wouldn't judge you if you had," Magnus said simply, but Jace shook his head.

"I haven't though. I wouldn't."

Magnus smiled gently, "I know." There was a smile in return, but it made him wonder, "I apologize in advance if this isn't something you wish to discuss, but if all goes well, do you have any idea what you'll do? That you would lead this mission should be enough to prove your innocence, but I've only ever known the Clave to be unforgiving."

"They are," Jace agreed, "I don't know what's going to happen. If I survive all of this I figure they'll likely derune and exile me, but that's a small cost to pay for how much good will come of it. At least I'm fairly certain Alec and Izzy will be fine; they've never been associated with the Circle other than by name."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Jace only shrugged.

**_2._** _Two Days Left..._

Isabelle fiddled with her brother's stolen _stele_. Her fingers traced the lines engraved around its handle; the codex had taught her it was made with something called adamas though she couldn't tell it apart from any other metal. When looked at closely the engravings were not random lines, but lillies interwoven with each other and in their petals were initials.

Jace had told her it belonged to Missaya Tigrelis, a Shadowhunter who'd been deployed to the New York Institute a couple years back on orders of the Clave, and by extension the Circle. Her duties had been to keep an eye on the Seelie Court entrance located within the city and to investigate Magnus Bane. The initials on her stele were those of the children she couldn't carry to term due to some of Valentine's experiments.

An "accident" on the battlefield later, and the Whitelaws had made sure she'd never report anything of use.

She wondered why things couldn't simply be black and white. Good guys and bad guys. It was hard to see the Circle as entirely bad when there were those who were stuck there by fear or unavoidable circumstances, and how could the Whitelaws be good if they were willing to let that woman die and try to get Jace killed simply by what they represented rather than their actions?

Shadowhunters had their own ideas of justice and she didn't know if she wanted any part in it.

It didn't stop her from finding Alec in his room and presenting him with the _stele_.

"Before we leave Friday, will you rune me?"

"Why would I do that? The idea is for you to look like a mundane. We can't let Valentine know you know anything about Shadowhunters." He put it in his pocket, reminding himself he shouldn't leave anything where his sister could find it.

"The runes can go anywhere, right? So what if we put it on my back or stomach? No one will see, and that way if something goes wrong I'll be better prepared. Maybe we can see with Jace which ones he thinks I could use. I just think it'd be stupid not to do everything I can like the rest of you."

"You can't undo being runed," he said and pulled her to sit by his side on his bed, "If we win this, you can finish school and go to University like you always wanted. If you're runed, the Clave might not allow it. You know I'd fight them on it, but I can't make any promises."

"I know that, but this is more important."

"You can't put your whole future on hold. You've worked so hard and you're so brilliant. You deserve to do the things you want with your life. You don't have to be a Shadowhunter, there's so much more open to you."

"But I won't have a future if something goes wrong. I need to know I'm giving this my all, just like everyone else. I don't want to be treated like a child or the damsel in distress. Maybe I don't know how to fight, but I'm not useless."

"I never said you were." Alec took in a deep breath, "If that's what you want, I'm not going to argue. I'm done arguing."

"Thank you, big brother." She had expected more resistance, but there were dark circles under her brother's eyes and a droop in his shoulders. He was tired; the result of making arrangements with all their allies and going over the plan late at night with Jace. He worried and fretted but kept it to himself in a way that was entirely unhealthy and very much the brother she loved.

It helped that he had Jace to lean on, though he didn't seem to be in much better shape.

"I love you." He hugged her and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Her reply was muffled though understood, "I love you too."

_**3.**_ _One Day Left..._

The Shadowhunter gear fit better than any other article of clothing he'd ever owned before. Including the shoes. Jace explained that it was made from some sort of special leather and shipped from Alicante. He'd stolen the clothes from the Institute; apparently, extra stocks did not solely apply to weapons.

It was as simple as he liked his clothing to be; t-shirt, trousers, and combat boots completely black. He clasped the thigh holster in place and fastened his bow and quiver to his back. Jace showed him where best to hide his seraph blade, _stele_ , and extra daggers.

"Lookin' good," Jace complimented, peering around his shoulder into the mirror he was facing.

"It's comfortable." Alec turned to him, "No one's going to be missing this, right? There's no reason to piss off the Whitelaws any more than necessary." He knew he wouldn't fit in any of their clothes being quite a bit taller, but he couldn't help but think Jace would steal from them just to piss them off.

"No, no, I got it from storage. Pinky promise. Ready to go?"

Alec nodded and the two headed off to their favourite training spot. There were a few things they wanted to go over before the next day and it gave them the peace and quiet, and most importantly room, to do so. It was also hard to stay at home where his sister and guardian were going about their everyday activities as if it were a normal day. He realized it was for his benefit, but it didn't make it any easier.

Alec wanted to practice with his bow a bit more to test that his aim was still reliable; finding that it was helped ease his concerns and work off some of his restless energy. Next was Jace's turn, who requested they spar until he broke a sweat. It was hard to feel like they'd burnt through the adrenaline spiking through them in anticipation for the next day.

"Want to read for a bit?" Alec offered when their sparring wasn't getting the results either of them wanted. As much as he had progressed in his training and could hold his own, he still wasn't much of a match for Jace and knew when it was edging on boredom for him.

"Yeah," Jace agreed.

He'd tossed aside his jacket earlier and now he wandered to it to put away his seraph blade and pull out _The Grey Book_.

They sat on the floor with their backs against the cement wall and their arms pressed together. Jace opened the book to where they had left off during their trip and started up from there. For lack of any better type of reading material, Jace had offered to read _The Grey Book_ with him to help with his reading and to educate him on different runes.

His finger was pressed to the page beneath the words he was reading aloud to allow Alec to know how words spoken looked written. They'd gone over the alphabet; by repeating the terrible jingle over and over and by writing it out until Alec remembered the order of the letters and what they looked like. _The Grey Book_ was a bit mature to start with, but during their trip it'd been the only book on hand.

Alec would pause him every once in a while to repeat a word or to clarify it, learning to identify when letters together made certain sounds. Mostly, he was glad to finally understand more runes. There had been many he didn't understand the use for and he could only convince Isabelle to read them for him so many times before she started to think something was off. He'd always believed she suspected something, but she hadn't asked and he wouldn't give her cause to.

Most of the ones Jace considered important he'd already taught him and drawn on him early into their training sessions.

After reading through the definition for the _Parabatai_ rune, Jace looked at him with a smile, "You know, if you'd turned me down I was going to ask you to be my _parabatai_."

Alec felt his cheeks warm at the comment, "You'd want that? Doesn't it seem a bit, I don't know... Intimate?"

"And we aren't?" Jace asked with a quirked eyebrow, "That's kind of the point. It's basically a platonic marriage."

"I see." They tended to gravitate to each other and were often physically close, the position they were in now only made it more obvious, and it suddenly seemed a bit warmer than usual, "Do you realize how things sound to other people when you say them like that?"

Jace's grin was answer enough and he rolled his eyes, "Idiot," and then he asked, "Is there a reason why you can't be _parabatai_ and lovers at the same time? The book doesn't say."

"No one knows why. Well, I'm sure some people know why, but it isn't shared knowledge. My guess is that it does something to the bond. To bad too; I'd have both with you if I could."

"Is that meant to be romantic?" Alec teased, unwilling to fall prey to his exaggerated sap.

Jace pouted, "I am the king of romance and you know it. I mean, I wooed you of all people."

The light and familiar banter took their minds off their current burdens. It was as if the upcoming day was far away and there was still time to tease and joke and be playful. He wasn't wearing Shadowhunter gear in preparation for his first real mission, he hadn't put new and enhanced protection runes on the bow he'd stolen from the weapon cache, and on his phone, there weren't dozens of texts from the allies he would be meeting up with the very next day.

At that moment none of that existed.

At that moment, he pressed a soft kiss to Jace's lips and truly believed he would still have the chance to kiss him as he pleased in the upcoming days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments on the last chapter, it truly means the world! I'm looking forward to what you're all going to think of what's to come :)


	18. Into The Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the fun begins! I'm almost done writing the story so the next few chapters should come out pretty rapidly.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Alec stood fiddling with his bow in the middle of a clearing surrounded by friends and allies. His sister was attached to his side and Magnus stood before him. Jace was flitting between people, making sure they all knew their parts. There were only minutes left until Jace would leave the clearing with Magnus and Isabelle.

"Are you guys ready?" He asked, not for the first time that day.

It was past dark; in their letter to Valentine they'd requested a pick up at night and he'd obliged, giving them the chance to recruit vampires to their aid.

Now they had a nice mix of allies, several members of Luke's pack and Raphael's clan, but also those they trusted and gathered for the cause from nearby cities. There was a handful of fairies; none from the Seelie court but those Magnus had met over parties and had trusted to invite. They were certain this guaranteed the Seelie Queen's knowledge of their plan, but there had been no contact from her and Magnus had reassured them she wouldn't interfere if there was no consequence, for better or worse, to herself or her people.

There were a few warlocks as well, all of which Alec had come to know over the years of living with Magnus. They'd been pleased with the combination of magic and strength among their allies.

"We're ready, Alexander." Magnus replied patiently, "We'll be meeting each other again in no time at all."

"Yeah, yeah we will," Alec said attempting to sound confident. He moved Isabelle away from his side and faced her, "I know you know what to do, so I'm not going to lecture you, but just... be careful, alright?"

"Of course, big brother." Her attempt at confidence was much more convincing. She hadn't so much as flinched when he'd drawn runes on her stomach and back. Jace had recommended a couple that could help and that would fit in the limited space. Alec hadn't wanted to put more than necessary and had given her the _voyance_ , strength, agility, and courage in combat runes.

"I love you," he said. She hugged him and replied in kind. Hesitantly, he let her go and hugged Magnus next. Stepping back from the two of them was hard. "I'll go talk to Jace. Wait here."

Jace was speaking to Raphael, and he interrupted them to pull him aside. It wasn't a conversation they hadn't already had over the last few days. Jace was grinning at him, clearly buzzing with adrenaline. He was ready and tired of waiting. Valentine had tormented him his whole life and he was finally on the verge of getting some payback; Alec couldn't fault him for being a bit too happy in a group of solemn soldiers.

"All good to go?" Jace asked as if he wasn't the one who'd just been making sure everything was prepared.

"Seems that way." He'd pulled him far away from the others, but he kept his tone in a whisper to keep from being overheard by everybody. He couldn't justify going far enough to get out of the wolves and vampires hearing range.

"You ready to lead these guys into battle?" It was said more casually than Alec thought was appropriate when feeling the hammering of nerves in his veins.

"Yes, I'm ready." He didn't want any of his allies to think him anything but confident; it was his duty as their leader to lead by example. He couldn't let his doubts show especially as close as they were to the mission's start.

"Good. Do what feels right; these people trust you and they'll follow you no matter what you decide to do."

He chose not to respond for lack of knowing what to say in return. Alec placed his hands on his cheeks, fingertips brushing strands of blonde hair as he tilted his face upwards and then leaning down for a kiss. Jace moved to his tiptoes and their lips met gently. He pressed into him and slipped his hands into his back pockets.

They kissed briefly, but long enough to change the burn of nerves into the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach, and he much preferred that feeling. He kept their bodies flush even as their lips parted.

"Is it too late to decide to go live as hermit people instead? We can live in a cave; me, you, Izzy, and Magnus. It could be fun."

Jace's returning smile was understanding, "Do you really think Izzy and Magnus would be happy living in dirt?"

"They could decorate the cave with ribbons and glitter. They'd make it work." Jace huffed a soft laugh but Alec sighed and interrupted before he could say anything. "Look, just, take care of my family okay? Yourself included."

"You know I will," Jace said simply. He'd promised time and time again to look out for them and not to put himself in more danger than absolutely necessary; they'd been going in circles for days and he patiently bore it.

"I... In case I don't get the chance to say it later, I wanted you to know-" This much was new. Alec's cheeks grew red, and his eyes were bright with affection, "I love you. I really, truly, love you."

"Oh," Jace breathed out, stunned. That had somehow been unexpected; despite being able to see that love in his gaze and words and know it was there.

"I know you might not, and it's fine. I'm not expecting anything, I just wanted you to know before..." Alec had been hesitant to say it at all, but he couldn't bear the thought that he might never get the chance to let him know. That Jace would never know how loved he was.

Whatever interaction he might have with Valentine, however unpleasant it might be for him, he wanted him to know for certain that if he felt alone in that moment he could remember that Alec Lightwood was madly in love with him.

"I'll..." Jace still seemed dazed, but there was a sparkle of joy in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "I'll respond to that the next time I see you. We'll fight our way to each other's side again, and then I'll tell you what you deserve to hear."

Alec was a little confused by that reply, but he suspected Jace just wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't expected a mutual response and he had accepted that. His words had been for Jace, not for himself.

"I look forward to it then."

There was a final kiss before Alec drew back fully. They'd spent too much time talking, but everyone had been too busy eavesdropping to interrupt them. Glancing towards his friends and allies, he spotted several heads turn away abruptly. There was no such thing as privacy among Downworlders.

The two of them walked over to Magnus and Isabelle who were waiting for them patiently.

"It's time to go," Jace said. There was no time for more words.

They nodded and with final hugs departed from the main group. Standing alone, Alec watched them walk off. Jace lead them with confidence in his steps, Isabelle was fiddling with her sleeves, and Magnus was slipping the handcuffs out of his pocket to place around his wrists. His breath came out with a shudder seeing them walk away from him in a way that seemed too final.

He brushed it off and turned to his allies, ready to give their first orders.

To Catarina, he gave her a nod and she left them to pursue her specific instructions. To the others, it was only a gesture.

_Follow me_ , it said.

They were to follow after the three of them; quietly and with a great distance between them. A warlock under Valentine's control was meeting Jace to open a portal for him and Magnus. From a quick magical scan a few hours prior there weren't any detection spells in the nearby area. The experiments Valentine used on warlocks left their minds muddled and they wouldn't think to use more spells than they were ordered to.

Alec was followed closely by Raphael, Luke, and a faerie named Fatouja whom Catarina worked with at the hospital. The rest were to remain further behind to await further instructions.

The clearing appeared in the distance. With another gesture, they all moved to hide behind trees and stay out of sight. Alec crouched behind some bushes. They were to the warlocks side to keep from being spotted, and the glittering portal was in the distance but facing in a way they couldn't see through it. He activated his hearing rune and waited.

"Master Valentine is not expecting a girl." The warlock said, tone passive. His veins were blackened by experiments and one of the horns above his head had been broken in the middle and the other was filed to a rounded tip. Alec didn't know why Valentine would torture his subjects if he was already planning on overtaking their consciousness with drugs.

"Is the portal ready?" Jace asked sharply.

They'd been warned ahead he couldn't show too much kindness to avoid suspicion. Alec didn't like this version of Jace he presented to persuade people of his loyalty.

"Yes, Sir Herondale." It seemed the warlock would not make an issue of Isabelle's presence. "They are waiting for you."

"Good," Jace said.

Alec couldn't get a good glimpse of Magnus, though he wasn't really trying since it was clear he hadn't wanted anyone to see him bound by Shadowhunter magic. His head was bowed and his arms were in front of him, clasped in the broken handcuffs. Jace lead him through with a forceful hand on his back and with more gentility instructed Isabelle to follow after him.

The three disappeared through the portal and they waited.

The hearing rune didn't allow him to hear through the portal, but in this instance, he was relying on Raphael's enhanced abilities. He looked at him and spotted the single finger he raised in answer.

Alec readied the blowgun Jace had given him. He'd had very little practice with it, but he released a heavy breath and launched the tranquilizer dart; with a quick spell from Fatouja, it was guaranteed to fly true. They hadn't wanted to risk immobilizing him with magic in case it was sensed, and neither did Alec want to kill him in the off chance he could be saved.

When the dart pierced his arm the effect was instant. His eyes flickered shut and he fell backward without so much as a gasp.

Catarina stepped out of the woods behind him and with a flick of her wrist she caught him before he could hit the ground. Once he was down she ran to the portal before it could flicker out. Over the last minute, she had siphoned a thin strand of her magic into the portal effectively giving her the opportunity to take it over once his magic was cut off.

The edges of the portal quivered but showed no signs of what had just happened. Having appeared from behind the warlock, she was out of sight of its opening and no one on the other side of it would know anything was amiss.

Alec dropped the blowgun and pulled out his bow. He notched an arrow and kept his eyes on the portal.

"Close the portal, warlock!" An angry voice commanded. When no response came he said, "What the hell..."

Alec couldn't hear it, but Raphael could and he spotted his tension from the corner of his eye. It was enough to know the Shadowhunter was going to step through the portal and... woosh. The arrow pierced the man's chest and he crumpled to the ground with a yelp and a curse quickly cut by the blood pouring from between his lips.

Raphael's single finger indicated they only had to worry about one awaiting Shadowhunter, and with him down Alec let loose the breath he'd been holding.

The portal was theirs and beyond it was an empty room; it was time to enter Valentine's base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments and kudos! They really mean a lot.
> 
> Please tell me your thoughts on this current chapter! The next part will be out sooner than you think :)


	19. In The Monster's Den

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chappie so soon? I hope you all don't mind! I'm really excited for you all to see where this is going, and with this nearly complete, I just can't help but give you another chapter :)

**_1._ **

Jace didn't like treating Magnus roughly, but it was the only way. He shoved him through the portal and had Isabelle follow. No one expected him to mistreat her, and he was as kind to her as he could allow himself to be.

"Mister Herondale," he was greeted instantly.

With a quick look around the room, it seemed only Anson Pangborn awaited them. He was in his early thirties and a relatively older member of the Circle. Jace had known him most of his life.

"Anson. Good to see you," he said in a light tone. Only one name; Raphael would know what that meant.

The man was frowning in displeasure, "Who's this?" He gestured towards Isabelle.

"A surprise for Valentine," he continued pleasantly, "I'm assuming he's waiting for me in the main hall?"

"Yes..." he trailed off as if wanting to say something else. He didn't. Jace belonged to Valentine; no other could reprimand or attempt to discipline him.

"Later!" Jace pushed a quiet Magnus out of the room and softened his touch once the door closed behind them. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Isabelle looked at him, her bottom lip drawn between her teeth. When meeting his gaze she slipped into a smile. Jace had known she'd been exaggerating her confidence for her brother, but he was surprised that for someone who'd grown in a relatively mundane environment she was keeping herself together so well.

"Let's get going." He returned her smile.

She nodded.

They were currently on the second floor of the building; Jace had always thought it was some sort of old mansion since there were lots of bedrooms and bathrooms around the place. Outside the room was a long corridor. Down the hall, to the left, there was a balcony overlooking the main hall and they went towards the right to find some stairs to the first floor.

At their bottom was a large open area which was the entrance of the mansion. All the windows were bespelled to show the ocean, and there were some vases on pedestals and even a decorative suit of armor in the corner. There were two flights of stairs on opposite sides of the entryway and in between them were a set of double doors which lead to what Jace considered the main hall.

There was another set of double doors that likely went outside though they were permanently locked shut, and there were a couple of single doors leading to other halls next to the stairways. As a child, he'd run through the mansion looking for treasure and hiding places. Valentine had put an end to that quickly.

Jace pulled open the door to the main hall and walked through with Magnus by his side and Isabelle following behind them.

It was a long room, one that once upon a time may have hosted a ball or a dining room table fit for a king. Now it was emptied of almost all furniture and decoration and was used as a gathering spot for Circle members.

A long strip of carpet was rolled out from the door to the end of the room where Valentine stood atop a dais. On either side of the room were Shadowhunters standing tall with their hands clasped behind their backs and awaiting orders. Jace recognized all of them from his childhood. To Valentine's left was Robert Lightwood and to his right Hodge Starkweather.

There was a balcony circling over the edge of the entire room on the second floor. It was a hall with several doors to various rooms which attached to the stairs in the entryway. Jace remembered trying to go up there to eavesdrop on meetings and failing every time. Never quiet enough, never stealthy enough. Valentine always punished him for it.

He wondered if there was a single corner of this mansion that held a happy memory.

Valentine was standing in front of a large pedestal on which sat a glass support for the Mortal Sword.

It was his prized possession, the one of three mortal instruments he had managed to find, and he was rarely seen without it. It was a show of power; there was never any fear of it being stolen from him.

"Jonathan," Valentine greeted, lips twisted in what might have been a smile if his eyes weren't dark with disappointment. "Congratulations on bringing the warlock. I had thought, perhaps, that you might have decided your life was not worth risking for our mission."

"Of course not." Jace pulled Magnus forward, keeping his face steady and not allowing his gaze to wander to the other Shadowhunters. Doing so would show weakness or fear; he had to pretend to be completely at ease as if surrounded by allies. He stopped a few feet in front of Valentine. "It was a difficult task, but I would never fail you."

He had warned Magnus ahead of time so as not to startle him, but he appropriately huffed and flinched when Jace shoved him to his knees in a perfect semblance of indignance.

"You're not usually this quiet, warlock." He was frowning, his gaze fixed on Magnus.

Jace had known Valentine was going to be suspicious no matter the circumstances and he'd told them that, but he felt anxious knowing them acting their parts was out of his hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry, have I offended you? Maybe people would be more inclined to talk to you if you weren't a psychopathic murderer."

It took effort not to laugh at Magnus' sass.

Valentine ignored his comment, "Glad to see it can still talk. Does he have _The Book of the White_?"

"I was unable to locate it, but I did confirm he was a good friend to Ragnor Fell and he may have hidden it somewhere."

"Lock him up downstairs." Valentine directed his instruction to Hodge.

He moved to obey, but Jace spoke up first, "Before all of that, I wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Mm, yes, the mundane." Valentine had barely glanced at Isabelle, "I suppose this is what took you so long to accomplish your mission? You know I don't tolerate distractions."

"I know that," Jace said quickly, "But it's not like that. I met her while I was searching for Magnus."

"And?" he snapped. His patience was running short.

That's what Jace had feared and why he'd insisted on needing her there. Magnus hadn't been enough to keep him occupied; he was more focused on punishing Jace than on the success of his mission.

"She's just a child!" Magnus pulled at the handcuffs in frustration, "What would you do with her? She's only a mundane!"

"Shut up, warlock." Valentine stepped off the dais and approached them, kicking him hard in the chest. He doubled over in pain with his jaw shut tight in anger. "Who is this girl, Jonathan?"

Jace walked over to Isabelle who'd been hovering behind them with eyes wide in wonderment. She was looking around the room and had tried to make eye contact with the other Shadowhunters who were diligently avoiding it. He grabbed her hand and gently guided her to Valentine. She didn't look at Magnus, knowing she wouldn't be able to and keep her composure.

Her heart ached at his pain and there was fear there too. When she looked into Valentine's eyes all she knew was that she was looking into the eyes of a murderer and her hands shook. It was easy enough to blame on the situation as a whole.

"I'd like to introduce you to Isabelle Lightwood."

Audible gasps. Robert's eyes grew wide where Jace could see him out of the corner of his eye. He smirked.

"I met her in New York. We bumped into each other one day and I realized she had the _Sight_. She was initially going under a mundane name, but we got to talking about the Shadow World and it turns out she's Maryse Lightwood's daughter."

"That's impossible, Maryse is dead." Valentine scanned her over. There was no denying she and Maryse had similarities, but he wouldn't trust anything Jace said without proof.

"That's true, sir." Isabelle spoke up, "My mother is dead. She passed away nine years ago. We were in Puerto Rico when it happened. Um... Jace said to give you this." She reached into her pocket and held something out for him.

Valentine carefully took the ring from her and inspected it. Family rings were rare and impossible to replicate perfectly. Alec had always kept their mother's ring hidden away and it was only with Jace's prompting did he give it up. Proving her legitimacy was the only way to guarantee her safety.

"If what you say is true," Despite the evidence he would hold on to his suspicion as long as he reasonably could, "Your mother must have been pregnant when she left us. But what about the boy? Alexander?"

"They both... I was at school when they were attacked. Neither of them survived," she said, a hint of sadness in her tone that came from truth.

"I see. Give her the angelic rune. If she survives, I just might believe you," Valentine said as if his belief was an honour.

Jace knew his second of hesitation was caught by Valentine. He reached into his pocket for his _stele_ and grabbed her hand. He pulled up her sleeve to draw it on the inside of her arm, a place she could easily hide it.

"On her hand, like a proper Shadowhunter," Valentine reprimanded.

"Of course," Jace agreed.

He met her eyes and she simply smiled, presenting her hand. He took it and traced the angelic rune across the back of her hand to match his own. She flinched as if it were her first rune.

"Are you alright?" He asked her once he was done.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Valentine took two bigs steps to be in front of her. He put a hand under her chin and tilted her face up to meet his gaze. He observed her for a long moment. Jace stayed silent by her side and waited.

Her stomach turned and she wanted to recoil in fear. Her brother wouldn't back down and neither would she. She held his gaze stubbornly waiting for him to call her out. He didn't.

He pulled back with a smile, "Would you like to meet your father?"

_No_.

"It would be an honour." She returned his smile.

**_2._ **

Alec stepped through the portal first and the other's followed in groups. He left the room and using Jace's instructions and the map he'd drawn up from memory knew to go down the hall to the left. His allies were well versed in stealth and the hall remained quiet as they made their way down.

He kept Raphael and Luke by his side to help detect any other people. A quick glance to them and they shook their heads. They weren't catching any fresh scents or sounds, which hopefully indicated the coast was clear.

Jace had told him the second floor was typically unused. There was dust on a couple door handles they passed. This was only a gathering place, not a home.

He counted them and stopped in front of the first door on his right. Alec made a signal and they all stopped. He motioned for Fatouja to come to him and she stepped to his side. He indicated the door.

She nodded; in a few seconds her left hand shimmered with pale green magic and she hovered it over the doorknob. Her magic enveloped it and a thin layer stretched over the crack surrounding the door. When she was done her magic faded and she stepped back to her place.

Alec flashed her a thankful smile; they couldn't risk talking, but he didn't want to ignore her contribution either.

It was a soundproofing spell and a glamour all in one; when he opened the door it was completely soundless and to any outsiders, the door would appear unmoved. It swung inwards and he left it pressed against the wall wide open. He crouched and using the reflection from the blade he kept in his boot he looked around the corner of the door. There was no one.

The second floor balcony stretched all the way around the top of the main hall. There was a banister to prevent anyone from falling over, several paintings hung on the wall that were old and faded, and pedestals stood with empty vases in between doors.

Alec had never been anywhere as large, elegant, or pretentious. Magnus loved his things, beautiful decorations and furniture, but his home was lived in and homely. Alec couldn't imagine growing up in such a place.

His allies remained in the first hallway and he went onwards. He laid on the floor and crawled as close to the edge of the balcony as he could allow. He kept his head down and listened. Now he could only wait for an opportunity to present itself.

"...On her hand, like a proper Shadowhunter."

He didn't recognize the voice but guessed it was Valentine. A shiver ran down his spine.

They'd agreed on a code word that any of them could use to signal him. It was to let him know an opportunity had arisen for him to take action. That word was ' _honour_ '. It had been safely assumed that any of them could find a way to slip it into a conversation with Valentine.

"It would be an honour," his sister said.

Alec pulled the bow off his back and pushed himself to his knees while keeping himself as small as possible. He would be clearly visible to any who'd look up, but he was quick and a moment was all he needed.

He notched an arrow and aimed at Valentine's back as he lead his sister towards their father. He took the shot.

"Now!" He shouted, not waiting to see him fall.

Behind him his allies burst into action, running by him and leaping over the banister onto the main floor. The Circle members were there to meet them, seraph blades lighting up and instantly the sound of weapons and the groans of the injured echoed throughout the room.

Alec launched arrow after arrow into the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Magnus, free of handcuffs, and Jace fighting side by side. They were to take care of Isabelle, and he was meant to fight his way to them. That was easier said than done; the fight was thick and everywhere and the room was almost too small for how many people were suddenly in it.

It didn't take long before one of the Shadowhunters jumped onto the balcony to stop his flow of arrows. He'd killed one of them and injured a few, but couldn't tell the severity of those injuries as they were pretty quick with healing runes and ignoring any other pain. He didn't recognize the woman as any of the faces Magnus had presented to them.

She'd likely happened to be around that day.

She wasted no time in unleashing a flurry of blows upon him. He threw aside his bow and pulled out his seraph blade. It lit up in his hands just in time for him to defend himself. She swung with precision and strength; the wrinkles by her eyes and the callouses on her hands were proof of her age and experience.

There was a doubt, a ring of alarm in his mind that went off, wondering if he might not be able to defeat her. He'd fought plenty of demons, but Shadowhunters were made to kill demons and would naturally be stronger than them. He'd never fought a Shadowhunter before.

Surely if he could kill a Greater Demon he should be able to handle this.

He wouldn't have to find out. A large brown wolf launched itself onto the balcony behind her and snapped its jaw around her forearm to help him. Alec took the second he was given as an opening to slip through her defenses and thrust his blade through her chest. He tugged it out and the werewolf let her go as she fell. The wound was fatal, but she wouldn't die immediately.

He didn't know enough to kill her quickly or as painlessly as possible. Jace had taught him to disarm or render them incapable of fighting anymore, but mercy was a future lesson.

"Thanks, Alaric!" He not only knew all of his allies names, even those arriving from other city's, he knew them by wolf form too. They appreciated it.

The werewolf nodded his head in response.

Alec jumped off the balcony into the fray with the wolf following right after him. He landed amidst his friends and lent them a hand against their enemies. Everywhere around him were blurs of fur, fangs, and blades. Blood stained the ground and his clothes. He felt sticky and sweaty.

There was a tingle in the air and a faint oaky smell that accompanied fairy magic. Out of the corner of his eyes, there were familiar sparks as Magnus cast spell after spell. He and Jace were still far, and he could barely catch a glimpse of his sister.

He had to make his way to them.

Alec stepped over bodies from both sides of the battle; he avoided looking at faces not wanting to know who was lost to them yet.

He ducked a blow from Malachi and felt a piercing burn along his arm. He sidestepped and the blade withdrew. Someone had caught him from behind and there was now a long cut drawn across his bicep. Quickly he turned to fight back the one behind him while using his senses to focus on Malachi's movements. He was joined by Lily before he could even concern himself about how he'd fight off two of them.

With vampire speed, she pulled a can of pepper spray out of her back pocket and blasted it in Malachi's face. Alec shook his head at her unusual methods but couldn't deny their effectiveness. She kicked him in the chest with her full strength and when her foot returned to the ground Malachi fell back with a square hole in his stomach where her heel had struck hard enough to pierce his skin.

Alec dodged and swung at the other Shadowhunter, a hairsbreadth away from being stabbed again and taking the upper hand to strike him back. Once he fell Alec turned to Lily with a crooked grin.

"Nice." He pointed to her bloodied shoe.

She smirked in answer and wasted no time in returning to the fight.

He was going to join her when a hush fell across the room. It was so sudden that he lowered his weapon and looked around to see what had happened. His gaze followed everyone else's and it was drawn to the back of the room where he had shot Valentine and had last seen Isabelle.

His sword fell with a clatter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry?
> 
> Please let me know what you thought! I'll likely have the next part up within a couple of days due to impatience aha :)
> 
> You are all lovely and wonderful!


	20. The Sun Sinks Below the Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the follow-up to our little cliffhanger, please enjoy :)

The arrow struck about an inch to the left of his heart. For most, this would be a debilitating strike; they would collapse in pain and death would likely greet them shortly after. When it came to Valentine Morgenstern, a miss was a miss. He reached behind himself and pulled the arrow out of his back, threw it to the ground, and turned to watch as his people fought to defend his crimes. There was a while still before any of his enemies would manage to reach him and his eyes strayed to the boy he considered a son albeit treated more as a project.

Years of experiments on his own body lead to the moment where the gaping hole through his chest could bleed black and slowly start to heal without needing the help of his _stele_. If Valentine could be commended on anything it would be his unrelenting ability to survive against the odds. His intelligence propelled him forward into ideals drawn from madness and his charisma gave him the opportunity to recruit others into his mindset.

Yet it was one trait in particular that outshone the others. His ability to dismiss those he considered beneath him and ignore their existence altogether. That was a rather large group of people, most easily categorized as Downworlders and mundanes. There were many Downworlders in the room presently, too many to ignore completely nor would he out of self-preservation as they were the obvious enemy.

There was, however, one mundane in the room. Or rather, one person Valentine believed to be a mundane. A Shadowhunter without runes was as good as such, after all. Isabelle had been left with her father as Valentine stepped away from them towards the fight, and Robert had drawn himself away from all of them leaving her alone. She was off to the side behind Valentine, getting a clear view of his back and the scene as a whole.

She spent a couple minutes keeping an eye on her family and friends to keep notes of their well-being. Magnus and Jace were fighting side by side with a handful of Circle members surrounding them, but they were holding their own well enough with a mix of Jace's superiour fighting skills and Magnus' powerful magic. She brought her gaze up to her brother, launching arrows into the crowd. Her breath hitched as a Shadowhunter jumped onto the balcony behind him, but let out a slow breath as Alaric came to his aid.

She saw him jump down from the balcony likely with the intention to make his way to them as his priority would surely be in their safety rather than in continuing his pursuit of Valentine's death. He was currently too far for her to see him properly and she spent a while simply trying to find him.

When she could finally tear her eyes away she took in her surroundings as she'd been taught.

Not too far ahead of her stood Valentine at the front of the dais with his arms spread wide at his sides in a way that seemed to her that he was basking in the chaos around him. The sight of him made her angry, her heart beating wildly and her hands shaking with adrenaline. She had no idea how he'd survived such a strike, he should be dead. He deserved to be dead.

Behind him, and next to her, was a table upon which rested the Mortal Sword on a silver stand. If she had to guess it was there as a show of power. Also possibly to keep it within reach at all times.

She took one step towards the sword and glanced at Valentine nervously. He didn't notice. Another step. Another glance. On the third step, she grew confident in his obliviousness and made her way to the front of the table. She wrapped her hands around the hilt of the sword and gently removed it from the stand. It was heavier than she expected it to be for an angel made weapon.

It would only be one chance; if she failed she would surely be killed. She could stand down and let Jace handle it. He'd wanted to kill him. When she glanced into the crowd he was still trapped among a throng of enemies.

The strength rune Alec had drawn on her belly flared to life. With the burst of strength she hoisted the blade over her shoulder as quietly as she could, took a few cautious steps forward, and she _spun_.

The force behind her movement threw her into a full turn until she was facing the pedestal and empty stand again. The tip of the sword hit the floor with a loud clang and she hunched over it as a sudden intense wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her eyes landed on the blade itself and for the first time in her life, the sight of blood made her queasy. Not so much at what it was, but more so for what it meant.

Her hearing grew fuzzy as her heart raced frantically. She focused on each breath, shaking as she drew in air and gasped it out in a lapse of what felt like a millennium and every blink was as slow and arduous as it would be to drain the ocean one bucket at a time. In what was actually seconds, the room grew as quiet as she was hearing it. She raised herself to her full height and turned slowly to face what she'd done.

Her allies and her enemies had mostly stilled and she could spot the fallen weapons of the latter as shock spread through the room.

She dropped the Mortal Sword and the resounding clang echoed through the quiet room only to cause a flurry of action to commence once more. The Circle members were running.

Valentine was dead. His head, now severed from his body, had rolled down the stairs of the dais leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake. She couldn't get herself to look at it, but she was very conscious of the rest of Valentine that was laying collapsed hardly a foot away from her.

His people weren't getting far. Their fear made them careless and her allies were quickly able to neutralize them.

Isabelle was always attuned to her brother's voice and heard him say amidst the ruckus, "If they surrender we do _not_ kill them. If they run feel free to do whatever you want." There was no confusion as to why he'd feel the need to elaborate what should be obvious.

In their shoes, she wasn't certain she'd be willing to let them surrender after everything they'd done, but her brother was their leader and she could spot them rendering the Circle members unconscious through somewhat questionable means, but by no means lethally. For those more docile there was rope and handcuffs to keep their hands in check courtesy of the warlocks and faeries.

Everything seemed to be happening so slowly yet so much was happening all at once.

She didn't realize she was still shaking until Magnus placed a steady hand on her shoulder and guided her into a hug. She couldn't see why she was so shaken, Valentine's death was exactly what they'd wanted.

"It'll be over soon, Isabelle. We'll be home in no time."

"I don't... I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm so..." She breathed out and let herself trail off. There were tears threatening to fall that she worked hard to keep at bay.

"It's okay, Isabelle. You're just in shock." He squeezed her tightly and ran a hand up and down her back in comfort, "You did wonderfully, I'm so proud of you."

Shock. That made sense.

"Where's Alec?" She only pulled back far enough to be able to look around the room in search of her brother.

Alec found himself in the center the room with his attention divided among more things than was physically possible for him to wrap his mind around. He was trying to capture as many Circle members as possible while trying to convince the Downworlders not to kill them all. He took no pleasure from letting them live either, but it was the moral thing to do and he stuck to his decision on it even if it ruffled a few feathers.

A constant nagging at the back of his mind told him to go to his sister, but he couldn't bring himself to ignore everything else he needed to do since he knew she was unharmed.

"Put them against the wall," he told Luke. A few people started moving the captured Circle members against the wall to clear some space. He started towards the front of the room but stopped by Jace, kneeling by Lucia-Rose. She was a werewolf that had come up from New Jersey on Luke's request and she now found herself with a large gash across her chest.

Jace was putting pressure on the wound and giving instructions to her packmate Avery on how to take his place.

"Just place your hands over the wound and press, but not with all your strength. She'll need to be taken to a healer, this is too wide to heal on its own." Jace removed his hands and placed Avery's over the wound, "Hold on a little while longer, okay? We should be able to get you out of here in no time."

Jace stood and wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt. Alec met him as he turned to move on to the next person.

"Alec!" He said loudly, eyes wide and breath heavy likely from exertion.

"Jace, hey-" Alec reached out for him, but he was quicker in placing his hands on his elbows and taking a step closer to him.

"Fuck, Alec, I'm sorry. I should have said it before. I was walking up to Valentine and all I could think about was how if this goes wrong I never told you I love you too when I had the chance. So. I love you, a lot," Jace spoke quickly as if dreading he wouldn't have time to say the words after all.

"I know," Alec smiled softly, but his next words came out stern, "But now's not the time. I need you to do something for me, it's important. Can you grab a couple of people and do a sweep of the building? We need to make sure we caught everyone."

"Yeah, I can do that." Jace nodded, eyes hardening in resolution. It was easy to reign in his focus when he had an order.

"Thank you. I'll get the injured out." Alec pressed a quick kiss to his lips and parted from him, doing his best to keep from getting distracted. There were too many emotions swirling in his head right now and Jace's words followed him, like a warm hand in his to help him continue on.

He slipped through the crowd with his sights set on Magnus and Isabelle. When they spotted him approaching, his sister threw herself into his arms, shaking like a leaf and breathing heavily.

"It's okay, Izzy," he whispered to her, "it's over. A little longer and we'll go home, alright?"

After she nodded to show she'd heard he mumbled a few 'I love you's' in her ear, pet her hair and squeezed her tight. He pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her smile was tight and her cheeks were pale, but she brought her arms down to her side and didn't protest his absence from her side.

He turned to Magnus and wrapped him in a tight hug next which was instantly reciprocated.

He didn't have much time to dawdle but couldn't stop himself from taking a few moments to breathe them in and fully accept that they were alive and well.

"Are you alright?" He stepped out of the hug and looked him over. There were no visible injuries but the all-black ensemble could be deceptive.

Magnus shook his head, "We're all fine. I sent the message off to the Whitelaws; I don't expect they'll keep us waiting."

"Good, thanks." They'd agreed that if everything went according to plan they'd alert the Whitelaws so that they, in turn, could take action. The Downworlders had few Shadowhunters they trusted, and that was still a bit much to say about the Whitelaws, but they needed to know about Valentine's death and the prisoners.

None of them had any interest in trying to deal with the Clave themselves. It was going to be a mess; the Clave was crawling with secret Circle members let alone those that they'd just captured and those posted in Institutes across the globe. They'd need to be weeded out and sentenced. That part would be none of their business. They'd done the hard part.

"Can you send a message to Catarina to have her reopen the portal? We're going to get the injured out first. A few need immediate attention."

"Will do. Let her know when everyone hurt is through and she'll close the portal and start giving treatment. I can open a portal home for the rest of us once we're done here."

"Thanks. I'll go take care of things, you stay with Izzy."

Magnus agreed easily and stayed near Isabelle while Alec wandered off. A flick of magic and Catarina was notified to reopen her portal.

Alec began instructing people to start moving the wounded back to the room they'd entered from. There were five that seemed gravelly injured, and a handful with wounds that looked like they could wait but could do with attention if Catarina could provide it. The other's remained patiently in the building, knowing that they would leave via Magnus' portal soon enough.

Jace met up with him on his way back to the main room to meet up with his sister and Magnus once more. They'd successfully wrangled in all the Circle members and all that was left was to wait.

Another round of hugs went around and slowly the room grew to a hush of whispers as the people gathered themselves after a brutal battle. They had lost people and the mourning had started once the adrenaline had faded. Everyone wanted to go home.

"Can we get everyone else out of here?" Alec asked Magnus, "There's no need for everyone to stay."

"I suppose not. Everyone seems well restrained, though we might want to keep a few people with us, just in case." Suddenly the noise of heavy steps rang through the room from beyond the entrance doors and the murmuring crowd quieted. "Seems we won't have time for that," Magnus said with a wry grin.

Alec sighed and nodded. While waiting for the Whitelaws, and whomever they deemed trustworthy enough to bring with them, to enter the room, Alec made his way to the Mortal Sword still laying bloodstained on the floor by Valentine's lifeless body. His sister's hands had held it last.

There was pride for her actions, but mostly disappointment that she'd had to do it at all. His shot had gone wide; he'd nearly cost them their victory. It was his sister's bravery that had secured it for them. The only civilian in the room, untrained and inexperienced, had taken down their biggest enemy.

He wanted to weep for her sacrifice.

Though he knew they couldn't have done it without every person that had agreed to take part. It wasn't a battle without an army.

The blade felt heavy in his hands. Drops of blood dripped off its edge and left a dark print by his boot. He climbed up the dais. The doors opened and the room fell eerily quiet. Alec stopped in front of the pedestal and gently put the blade back in its stand.

The Downworlders parted for the Shadowhunters who made their way to the center of the room with confident and quick steps.

The first words spoken by the woman in the front echoed in the silence, "Who killed Valentine?"

Alec turned to face her, his gaze sweeping over his sister's pale face and quivering hands before falling on a tall woman with a hard expression on her face and her long blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail. He had no idea who she was, but he recognized the Whitelaws standing behind her. They were Rachel, the Head of the New York Institute, her sons Elijah and Dominic, and her niece Ariel. They wouldn't recognize him, however.

No one answered her immediately, the question hanging in the air around them. His allies were waiting for him to speak and the Circle members would never admit to the truth.

So, he spoke.

"I did," he said, voice loud enough to carry through the room.

No one exposed his lie.

"I see," she said. Her gaze on him was searching; for a name, for truth, for deception. She moved on from him and looked around the room at the situation she'd found herself in. "I am Consul Jia Penhallow. I was notified of this incident by Rachel Whitelaw. The Silent Brothers have been summoned to bring the Circle members to the Silent City. The rest of you are to remain here for questioning once the Clave arrives."

"No," Alec spoke again, even louder than before to draw her attention.

"And who are you, exactly?" She asked, tone haughty. His single worded objection clearly did not sit well with her.

"My name is Alec Lightwood. These people aren't staying here any longer. We're going home."

"Mr. Lightwood, a battle has happened here and we need all the facts. It's standard protocol."

"Let me remind you, Ms. Penhallow, that Valentine Morgenstern was a Shadowhunter and thus a Shadowhunter problem. These Downworlders took on a near-impossible mission because your kind refused to. You owe them a debt. So they're going home to see their families, to mourn those we lost here today, and to celebrate a hard-earned victory. Tomorrow will be a new day and if you still need to speak to them you can certainly feel free to find me."

The silence lasted a pause where she glared at him but couldn't seem to find the words to snap back. A werewolf's howl pierced the stillness and in unison, all of his allies erupted in cheers of agreement. Jia's jaw clenched in frustration for a moment but was soon followed by a sigh of resignation.

"And how might I do that?" She asked once the room had quieted around her.

"Send a message to Magnus and he'll pass it along for you." His grin was met with a nod.

"Fine. Go then. We'll take care of the rest."

"Thank you," he said politely. She didn't look at him, instead, she turned her attention to the Whitelaws and gave them orders.

He left the dais and before he could get to his family's side Magnus was shouting happily over the mumbling around the room, "Party at Pandemonium!" He was met with more cheers.

"Couldn't end the day without a party could you?" Alec teased upon stepping into their little circle.

"I think a few people are going to appreciate the free booze." Magnus' gaze flickered over the crowd around them.

"More than a few, I'd imagine," Jace agreed.

Isabelle pulled him into a tight hug, "Thank you, big brother," she whispered to him gratefully.

"I love you," was all he said in response.

Magnus placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, "I'm very proud of you, Alexander. I can assure you everyone here truly appreciates what you've just done for them. Even if they won't all admit it."

Alec smiled softly and nodded in understanding, "I'm ready to head home, how about you guys?"

"Hell yes," Jace chipped in instantly.

"I'll get the portal ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be up soon!


	21. Midnight Hour Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy :)

Every fifteen minutes or so the pop of a champagne cork resounded through the room followed by another chorus of cheers and claps from the guests. Most of them were celebrating and some were mourning; the alcohol was drunk by all with equal fervour. Years of loss and anguish heavy on their shoulders were finally laid to rest with resolution in sight.

None of them could fool themselves into believing all would suddenly be perfect by morning, but for now, there was no harm in celebrating a hard-fought war. Tomorrow they could face the aftershocks of Valentine's death.

The warlocks and faeries in the group helped prepare graves for those they had lost and a brief burial was held for them before the party began. There would be proper funerals in the coming days, but they couldn't move on to the celebrations without ensuring they had been cared for.

" _To tomorrow_!"

" _To Valentine's death_!"

" _To victory_!"

" _To the death of prejudice_!"

" _To Alec Lightwood_!"

" _To free booze_!"

" _To Izzy Lightwood_!"

The midnight pop was a cheer to the youngest Lightwood, which left her giggling and flushed. Her shock had worn off and she was now basking in the joy around her. She held half a glass of bubbly, what Magnus had approved, and she'd changed out of her dirty and blood-stained clothes into her favourite red dress. With the permanent sight rune etched on her lower back she could finally forego the thick glasses and contact lenses. Shadowhunters had it easy sometimes.

She leaned back against the bar and stared into the crowd with a smile across her lips, happy to watch so many people she loved and respected getting to celebrate without fear.

"How are you, little Lightwood?" Raphael asked her, taking a seat on the bar stool next to her with a glass of blood in his hands. Even he seemed relaxed, which was probably the strangest thing she'd seen all day.

"I'm good," she said, "how about you? I'm sorry about Elliott." She knew they'd been close and that Elliott had been one of the few Raphael had grown to trust.

There was a small nod of gratitude for the sentiment, and he said, "we've lost many over the years; today's sacrifices will hopefully bring about a change."

"Yeah," she said with a long breath, "what do you think is going to happen tomorrow? When the Clave people come looking for everyone."

He thought over his words carefully, quiet for a long moment before smiling ruefully her way, "Let's think about that tomorrow, shall we?"

She didn't want to be the only person in the room wary and on edge, but it was hard to ignore her wandering thoughts.

Raphael pointed towards Magnus, changed now into purple skinny jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt with ruffles, and a dozen necklaces dangling from his neck, and who was currently chatting with an unglamoured Catarina in the distance, "Maybe talk to that one? I'm sure he can cheer you up."

She laughed, unsurprised that he was trying to pawn her off on Magnus. He meant well; he wasn't one for heart to hearts and would probably break out in hives if she tried to force it on him.

She nodded and took his advice. She slipped in next to Magnus quietly and listened in on his conversation. Both warlocks were obviously exhausted, not even Magnus was bothering with his glamour.

They were talking about Ragnor, one of the many who hadn't made it to see their day of victory. She missed him and could only imagine what her friends were feeling about his absence. When the conversation lulled, Magnus looked her way with a smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her to his side.

"Ragnor would have been very proud of what you did today," he told her, "he always loved big dramatic moments."

"I think you're talking about yourself, Magnus." Catarina rolled her eyes and then sent a smile Isabelle's way, "We're all very proud of you. For all you did today, not just the big finale."

"Thank you, Cat," she said, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

She listened to their words and the energy behind them and finally started to feel more at peace with the events of the day. There was a lot to take in, more than a couple of hours and a bit of champagne could help digest, but her family was safe and if Magnus wasn't worried, then neither was she.

They started talking about the wounded and she turned her attention next to Jace, not wanting to hear more about that right now.

Within minutes of their arrival, he had wandered to the grand piano in the room. It had been leftover from the last event held there; some fancy cocktail party Magnus had hosted for well-paying business people. He played very well and no one had objected to it.

Several people had stopped by his side to chat, but despite having just fought with all of them there wasn't anyone Jace knew particularly well. They were allies but strangers all at once and at that point, he preferred the company of his music.

There was a lot on his mind and it helped to keep his thoughts in some semblance of order.

Barely three hours ago his father figure had been killed by his boyfriend's sister and he had no idea what was going to happen to him now that the Clave knew where to find him.

It was easier to try not to think about it.

He remained focused on the movements of his fingers and the hum of chatter around him while also being startled by the pop of a champagne cork every fifteen minutes. His eyes glanced up occasionally in search of Alec against his better judgment. There was a lot to say between them and he wasn't ready for that conversation.

Alec was in possession of a half-drunk beer and surrounded by his friends and allies. Everyone stopped him to congratulate him and talk over the battle. Jace watched his shoulders tense and his smile grow stiff as he neared his limit. They often forgot, or didn't know, how young he was; it had been a long day and all this talk was only causing more stress.

Jace waited until finally, their eyes met across the room and the smile finally grew sincere.

It was two minutes later that Alec was able to excuse himself and make his way to Jace's side. He slipped onto the piano bench with his legs on either side of it and placed his beer beneath it.

"Hi," he said softly.

Jace continued to play, the song ingrained in his muscle memory, and responded in kind. Alec moved a hand to his hip, finger curling into his belt loop and tugging at it gently.

"What's on your mind?"

"What isn't?" He shrugged, meeting his earnest gaze with a wry grin.

"Want to talk about it?"

The usual ' _no_ ' was on the tip of his tongue, but he knew it wasn't the right thing to say.

"I think... I have to leave," Jace said.

"Leave?" Alec pressed, clearly not understanding what he was talking about.

"The Clave is going to be all over you guys and you being Lightwoods is going to make it difficult enough for you without me being around and making things worse. They'll probably want to arrest me right along with the Circle members and that's not going to look good on you guys."

"Where are you thinking of going?" Alec asked, voice calm despite the revelation. His gaze held Jace's steadily, his eyes exuding warmth that left his stomach fluttering.

"I don't know. Harder for them to follow my tracks if I don't even know where I'll be next."

"And you think I'll just let you walk away from me after all we've been through?"

"Alec, don't be stupid," he said sharply, a contrast to the sweet and slow song he was still playing, "This isn't about us. Think about Izzy and Magnus; I have to leave for all of you. It's... it's the right thing to do." It didn't feel like it, but Jace had been taught to put his head above his heart.

"If you actually think that that's going to happen then I guess we haven't made as much progress as I thought," Alec said, "Let me remind you, since it seems you've already forgotten, I love you, you stupid boy. Whatever happens, we're doing it together. I don't give a fuck what the Clave thinks. I'm going to fight to defend my family and I'm going to fight to defend you too. Understood?"

Jace sighed, "I know you love me, and I love you too, but you don't know what they're like. The Clave's better than the Circle, but not by much. Even if I don't have the rune they know I was in the Circle, and they don't believe in redemption."

"Then we'll make them believe," Alec pressed stubbornly, "And if they can't be persuaded we'll leave together. Stop thinking that you're alone, Jace. You aren't. Let me be here for you."

Jace finished his song and slid into something gentle that reminded him of Alec.

"I can't do that to you."

"You will," Alec leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the side of his neck and whispered, "and if you leave, I'm just going to follow you. But I won't know where I'm going since you're a master escapist, and then I'll be lost forever. Would you rather do that to me? Or will you let me be your loving boyfriend?"

Jace could feel his lips curl into a smile against his shoulder and he shook his head with a soft laugh, "It's not that I want to leave, you know? I like the idea of staying here with you without the Circle shadowing my every move, but... Valentine's taken everything from me, and what if in death he takes you, too?"

"I've been told once or twice that I'm pretty stubborn. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you." Alec placed a hand on his cheek and gently turned his face to look at him. He leaned forward and pressed their lips together, taking the kiss he'd been yearning for since catching Jace's eye from across the room.

"I can vouch for that," Jace mumbled, "but what if-"

Alec shushed him and kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him into his chest. Jace's thoughts grew jumbled and not even muscle memory could keep the song going. His fingers fell off the piano keys and settled on Alec's waist as he turned his body towards him.

"You'll stay, won't you?" Alec mumbled in between kisses. His cheeks were flushed and his pupils were blown with arousal; Jace's heart pounded at the thought of all the things he wanted to do to him.

"If you're sure, then I'm sure."

"Mm. I am." Their next kiss was interrupted by a shaky breath, "I want you to take me home, Jace."

His hands tightened at his waist and that was answer enough.

Across the room, Luke, holding a half-empty bottle of champagne, joined up with Magnus and Isabelle with a loud laugh, "Guess our maestro got distracted!"

Magnus didn't correct him on the use of the word ' _maestro_ ' and looked towards the suddenly silent piano. They were not the only ones to notice the sudden lack of music and there was obvious giggling going around the room. Magnus rolled his eyes with a fond smile and snapped his fingers to start up some more music.

"Ah, young love," he mused and Isabelle fake gagged.

Luke laughed again, overflowing with joy from the day's events and the effects of the booze, "You'll get there someday, Isabelle."

She stuck out her tongue in answer.

A few minutes passed before her brother and Jace left the piano and made their way to their little group.

"Heading out?" Magnus asked, a hint of teasing in his tone that Isabelle immediately blocked from her memory.

"Uh, yeah, it's late," Alec said awkwardly.

"Mm."

There was a knowing look on his face and Alec glared at him, "Shush. Nothing from you." He turned to Isabelle and held his arms out for a hug, pressing a kiss to her hair, "Behave. Don't drink too much. Make sure Magnus doesn't stay out too late."

"Yes, brother dearest," she laughed and left a lipstick kiss on his cheek that he wiped off with a pout, "I'll be a proper angel."

"Night, guys."

Alec and Jace bid everyone goodnight and left the party. The fact that it was late wasn't a complete lie and there was a small handful of people who followed their lead. Everyone else seemed to be prepared for a long night of festivities.

Isabelle stayed by Magnus' side for a while, chatting with Cat and Luke and Raphael, and occasionally their friends that came up to them with praise and merriment.

Sometimes she'd look down at her hands and remember vividly what she'd done that day and her brother's words would ring through her head. He had taken responsibility for her actions as he had done her entire life, and of course she was grateful for it, but she couldn't help the feeling of guilt that followed her like a shadow.

Would the Clave thank him for what he'd done? Or would he be punished for his name and his illegal runes? He had put himself in their eyes only to protect her.

Sensing her gloom, Magnus would make a joke or smile her way to push back her stormy thoughts.

She was happy, there was no doubt about that. After losing so many people she loved and cared for, she'd had waking dreams about Valentine's death. Only... she had never been the one behind the blade.

Alec was always the hero. Her hero.

Now, she wondered if she could be one too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear from you!


	22. Inside the Tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're all amazing, thank you for your continued support of this story, it truly means the world!

**_1._ **

Alec was woken by the sun pouring through his curtains and he instantly felt warm and content. Jace was wrapped around him, head resting on his shoulder. He was drawing patterns on his chest with his fingertip; runes, probably.

Alec wouldn't admit to the relief he felt knowing Jace had stayed and hadn't changed his mind about leaving.

"Mornin'," he said, voice thick with just-woken sluggishness.

"Hey."

"Been up long?"

"Nah, just a few minutes." Jace pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at him, a soft smile stretched across his lips and his hair mussed from sleep.

Alec moved up to press a quick peck to his lips, "Shower?" he asked, "Then food?"

"Sounds good to me," Jace agreed readily.

They gathered some clothes and shared a shower that wasn't as quick as intended. The smell of breakfast met them the moment they stepped out of the washroom refreshed and clean.

In the kitchen, they found Magnus preparing some eggs, bacon, and toast with a bounce in his step while Isabelle sat at the island with her head buried in her arms. She let out a groan in greeting.

"Good morning!" Magnus said cheerfully.

Jace and Alec responded in kind and joined them around the kitchen island. Jace took a seat and Alec slid in next to his sister. He pet her hair and asked with an amused smirk, "Did someone have more to drink than she should have?"

"Shut up," she groaned again and didn't look up.

Magnus handed the two boys some plates piled with food and explained, "She may have disappeared from my sight for a little while last night, and Maia and Lily are terrible influences. I'll give her a hangover cure once I feel she's learned her lesson."

"You're the worst."

Alec laughed, "I hope she didn't cause too much trouble?"

"No more than usual."

He ran a hand through her hair once in comfort and then took a seat to eat his breakfast. It smelled amazing and he ate it hungrily. The room fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes as they ate and Isabelle slept until Magnus took pity on her and gave her a hangover potion.

"Drink up before it's all gone. I have no doubt I'll be getting calls all day asking me for some of this."

Isabelle didn't hesitate before swallowing the entire vial of green liquid. She put it down and smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Magnus. I am never drinking again."

"Of course, dear." Magnus shook his head and laughed, "I hate to break the mood, but you got a letter this morning, Alexander."

"A letter?" Alec looked up from his nearly empty plate, "From who?"

"Imogen Herondale, the Inquisitor," Magnus replied. From a nearby counter, he grabbed a rolled up document and handed it to him. His name was finely written across the front and there was a wax seal keeping it closed; it was the same symbol that had been etched onto Jace's Herondale ring.

Isabelle looked at Jace with her brows pinched in curiousity, "Isn't your last name Herondale?"

"It is. Imogen is my paternal grandmother," Jace explained, "She was against the Circle from the start and had a falling out with my dad about it long before I was born. After my parents' died, Valentine kept me from her, saying it was my parents' wishes that he raise me. I've never met her, and I don't even know if she knows I exist."

"I'm sure you'll get to meet her soon now that Valentine's gone," Isabelle said, trying to be comforting.

Jace shrugged. It was hard to yearn for something he didn't fully understand in the first place; family had never meant much to him.

"I got a matching letter," Magnus pointed to an unrolled page on the counter. "The Clave located Jocelyn and Clary at the Morgenstern estate and they've requested I go to Idris this afternoon to try and heal Jocelyn. "

"Do you think you'll be able to?" Isabelle asked.

"I don't expect any problems since I have _The Book of the White_."

Alec broke the seal on his letter and opened it carefully. The words were written by hand and he couldn't quite decipher most of them as he still had a lot of work to do to improve his reading skills. Jace caught the confusion and peered over his shoulder to read it and spoke aloud as if to himself.

"Huh. They're holding a meeting at the Institute she wants you to attend... Actually, she wants all of us to attend. ' _The following people are hereby summoned to the New York Institute: Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane, Jonathan Herondale, and the girl that was with you._ ' I'm guessing they mean Izzy."

"Izzy isn't going," Alec said, "they don't even know who she is and technically, they could be talking about anybody. We could bring Cat."

"Normally, I wouldn't be averse to a bit of mischief, but in this case, I would suggest doing what they ask. Right now, the fact that they haven't burst in here to arrest us all is a good sign, and it would be best not to piss them off. The fact they know nothing about her is on our side; we give them as little information as possible and they'll lose interest quickly enough," Magnus said.

"I don't know..."

"Can't I decide?" Isabelle said, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Of course, darling," Magnus appeased immediately, "what would you like to do?"

"Um," she had been so quick to interrupt that she hadn't actually thought about it. She took a second and nodded, "I'll go. I think you're right. They saw me there and it's best if we just let them question all of us."

"What time is the meeting?" Magnus asked.

"Noon," Jace answered.

Alec, assuming that Jace had gleamed whatever was important from the letter, rolled it back up and set it by his plate. He wasn't looking forward to the meeting but had expected it. They were quicker than he'd anticipated, but he appreciated the efficiency.

Magnus didn't have much to say about Imogen Herondale, and Jace had too much to say about the Whitelaws.

Alec met his sister's gaze and smiled to reassure her. They weren't going in this alone; they had family now.

**_2._ **

The Institute was overwhelming with its smug and posh holier-than-thou vibe. Jace and Magnus were familiar with the building and didn't seem fazed by their surroundings, but Alec stayed by Isabelle as they both looked around with a mix of curiousity and fear.

They were greeted by Rachel Whitelaw in the entrance hall.

Her smile wasn't quite warm, but it was friendly enough to ease the tension, "Thank you for joining us. Please follow me to the conference room for the meeting."

She lead them down a series of halls until they stopped in front of a large wooden door. Elijah Whitelaw was standing outside, feet shuffling impatiently. His gaze hardened as he spotted them approaching.

Rachel was quick to make the introductions, "This is my son Elijah. He'll be joining us as well." He was the only other member of the New York Institute above the age of eighteen. Jace was assuming that Dominic and Ariel would be waiting impatiently for him to give them the details of the meeting.

Elijah's greeting was a nod and only Isabelle politely said, "Nice to meet you."

Rachel walked by her son with no further comment and entered the room first. Elijah glanced at them for a brief moment before following after her. Alec looked at Magnus who only smiled and waved him in.

A couple other Shadowhunters were already in the room, sitting at a long desk on the far side of the room. Rachel and Elijah took their own seats and their group stopped once they stood before the desk.

There was an older woman sitting in the center, her greying hair was tied into a tight bun and she watched them with a piercing stare; she was without a doubt the one in charge. To her left was another woman with black hair and brown eyes and with a hint of warmth in her expression they recognized as Consul Jia Penhallow, and to her right was a man with dark frizzy hair and a frown on his face.

Their numbers weren't overwhelming, but the tension in the air was thick enough to make them feel as though they were standing before a jury waiting for a verdict.

Alec was one step ahead of the others, a long-learned protective habit, and stood tall with his hands behind his back; refusing to show them weakness. He waited for them to speak first.

"Good afternoon, thank you for coming," Jia said, tone gentle. She was covered in runes like a seasoned Shadowhunter and Alec could spot the scars of battle along her hands and arms; he greatly appreciated the sympathy she was emanating in comparison to her companions.

"Thank you for having us," Alec said, playing polite, "I assume you invited us here to discuss yesterday's events?"

"That would be part of it," she said and then the woman in the middle spoke with a sharp tinge to her tone.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we? You're Alexander Lightwood, son of Maryse and Robert Lightwood, correct?"

"That's correct."

"And she is?" The woman looked at Isabelle.

"This is my sister, Isabelle," he replied truthfully.

Jace said it would be easier to tell the truth than risk being caught in a lie and at this point, Alec didn't see a need to omit the truth.

"Also the daughter of Maryse and Robert?"

"Yes."

"And you're Magnus Bane, of course, and that leaves... you must be Jonathan Herondale, son of Stephen and Céline?" She tilted her head and her eyes squinted as if sizing him up.

"That's me. And who are you?" Jace was not quite as polite as Alec was trying to be, but he had a reputation that didn't require it.

Her lips tightened into a thin line of displeasure at his tone, and then she spoke, "In this room, I'm Inquisitor Herondale and you'll address me as such. Outside of this room, I suppose I'll be known as your grandmother."

Alec kept himself from looking over at Jace to see his expression.

"With me today are Consul Jia Penhallow, Victor Aldertree, Rachel Whitelaw, and Elijah Whitelaw. This meeting today is to learn about your connections to the Circle and the details about what occurred yesterday. I'd like to start with you, Jonathan. Start from the beginning." She crossed her hands over the desk and looked at him expectantly.

The others at the desk were just as quiet; the Inquisitor had spoken.

Jace took a step forward, standing now next to Alec, and spoke.

He told them everything of relevance; the death of his parents, his tutelage under Valentine, and his association and defection from the Circle. The Shadowhunters before them remained mostly quiet, only asking questions when they needed more information.

"What was your involvement in yesterday's battle?"

"Alec lead the team, and I was his strategist. I had key knowledge about Valentine and the inner workings of the Circle, as well as a layout of his headquarters."

Imogen nodded and turned to Jia, "Bring out the sword."

Alec looked at Jace out of the corner of his eye, a sense of distress spreading through him, though he was reassured by Jace's seeming nonchalance.

Jia stood quietly and moved further behind the desk, only to return with the Soul Sword in hand. Alec and Isabelle recognized it as the sword used to kill Valentine, but Alec didn't remember much about its significance in Shadowhunter history or what could be its current purpose. She stepped around the desk until she stood in front of Jace.

"We'll be performing a trial by sword to ensure your loyalty."

Jace took a step closer to Jia and nodded, "I understand."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Alec asked hesitantly.

"It's okay, they're not stabbing me with it or anything," Jace said with a grin, lightening the mood.

He put his hands out palm upwards and Jia carefully placed the sword across them. It glowed softly at his touch.

"With the Soul Sword in your hands, you'll be unable to lie. Are you ready to begin?"

Jace nodded, "I am."

"Are you, or have you ever been, a Circle member?" Jia started.

Jace choked on his answer briefly, but truth won out as he was forced to respond, "Yes."

Her eyebrow quirked at his response but sensing his indecisiveness asked, "Did you join the Circle of your own volition?"

"No," Jace replied easily.

"And do you believe in and/or condone the Circle's mission to eradicate Downworlders?"

"I don't."

"When did you first meet Alexander Lightwood?"

"Um... six or seven months ago, I think."

Alec's fingers locked tightly behind his back, anxious to see where her line of questioning was going even though they had nothing to hide.

"Is he, or has he ever been, a Circle member?"

"No."

She hummed in what Alec hoped was approval, "I see. And Isabelle?"

"No, she's never had any dealings with the Circle."

Jia nodded and took hold of the sword again, "That'll be all."

Jace stood still for a moment with his hands hovering in the air uncertainly. That was a short series of questions, though they were to the point as Shadowhunters preferred. Once Jia had turned around to rest the sword on the desk, Jace realized that she was indeed done with him and returned to his spot in line with the others.

Jia took her seat and Imogen called on Magnus next.

"We know you've always done your best to protect your people and the Downworlders, so I'm curious how you came to befriend three people whose parents were part of the Circle." It was not so much a question as an accusation of distrust that Magnus had learned early in his life to identify and ignore.

They couldn't conduct a trial by sword on him and had to go by his word. Clearly, this was unfavourable to Imogen.

"Shall I get us some biscuits and tea for storytime?"

Imogen was unamused and didn't respond.

Magnus sighed and told his tale; cutting out the bits and pieces that weren't his to share or important enough to elaborate on. He hadn't thought back on his early days with Alec and Isabelle in a long time, and there was a sense of nostalgia as he told the Inquisitor about how the Lightwood children had come to be in his care.

"And you know the rest. We made a plan, we followed through, and now Valentine is dead and the world is better for it. Anything else you'd like to know? The colour of my socks? My favourite movie?"

Alec fought back a grin. He'd seen Magnus be impatient and immature at the oddest times, especially when Raphael was around, but he'd never seen him so childish.

"That would be enough, Warlock Bane." Imogen was scowling and Magnus relished in it.

"As you wish. And for the record, I'm not wearing any socks and my favourite movie is _The Princess Bride_." Magnus returned to his spot in line with a smug grin.

The little victories, Alec thought.

He assumed he'd be next, but Imogen's gaze passed over him and landed on Isabelle. His shoulders tensed, but he let her step ahead of him without comment. This is what she'd agreed to, he had to let her do her thing.

"We're going to proceed directly to the trial by sword to see if you can vouch for their stories."

Jia stood from her seat for a second time and Isabelle stepped forward. For a non-fighting scholar, she was holding her own bravely. She held her hands out much as Jace had done and kept her gaze steady and locked on Jia. The  _voyance_ rune on the back of her hand was inky black; there was no keeping it a secret.

She gently placed the sword across her hands and began her questions.

"What's your name?"

"Isabelle Sophia Lightwood."

"Are you, or have you ever been, a member of the Circle?"

"No."

"Warlock Bane said he found you and your brother several years ago. Is this true?"

"Yes, it was four years ago."

"And is it true that you're currently a student?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Jia was silent for a moment and the room tensed waiting for further questions. The Inquisitor remained still. Eventually, Jia simply smiled and took the blade back into her hands, "That will be all, Miss Lightwood."

Isabelle blinked rapidly, "Is that it?" she asked bluntly.

"Yes, that's it for you, Miss Lightwood. Shadowhunters believe in following by example," Jia placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and her eyes flicked behind her and landed on Alec, "And your brother's failings will be yours too. Now, please step back."

Her face hadn't lost its warmth, but her words made his blood run cold. Isabelle stood shocked and didn't move. Alec stepped forward, placed a hand on her wrist, and gently tugged her back.

"I suppose it's my turn, then?" He snapped.

Isabelle followed his direction and stopped next to Magnus. He rubbed her back and could only hope for the best.

Alec took her place and Jia returned to her seat. He wasn't getting the sword right away, it seemed.

"It was several months after the fact did we learn that Maryse had escaped the Circle with her son. Everyone had been lead to believe you were both dead, and no further searches were performed. For that, I offer an apology to you and your family."

They were all startled by the words, Magnus most of all; centuries of exposure to Shadowhunters and their morals made him wonder if he'd misheard.

Imogen paused for a response and Alec said, "Thank you...?" He couldn't help the questioning tilt to his tone.

"Now, go ahead and tell us what you remember of your upbringing up to where you met Warlock Bane."

All that was left was to fill in the blanks. In truth, he knew what his mother had told him; how much of it was the truth or coverups for an even harsher reality, he would never know.

He told them about leaving Puerto Rico with his sister, keeping her in school while he worked for scraps, and finding their way to New York where they were found by Magnus. That's where she'd wanted him to stop and so he did after several minutes of recounting the worst years of his life.

Imogen sat forward and placed her chin atop her interlocked hands, gazing at him as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

"I see. And when did the runes happen? A Shadowhunter's first rune is supposed to be drawn by a Silent Brother."

"A few years ago I came across a lost _stele_. I hadn't planned to use it at the time, but people around me were being hurt and I couldn't stand by and do nothing. That's all there is to it, really," he said, unapologetically.

"Where did you find the _stele_?"

Alec, knowing where she was going with this, gave her what she was looking for, "It belonged to Missaya Tigrelis. I found it at the location of her death."

Rachel and Elijah shared a look at the mention of the dead Shadowhunter's name.

"And this was done under Warlock Bane's roof?"

He hesitated for a moment, contemplated lying, but knew the sword wasn't far, "... Yes. This was about two years ago."

Imogen nodded, "We will now proceed to our final trial by sword."

For the last time, Jia stood from her seat and set the sword on Alec's waiting hands.

She was not the one to ask the first question this time. Imogen spoke from her place at the desk, "I happened to notice, in all of this, that you've made no mention of your father. Have you had any contact with him, before or after your mother's death? Letters, calls, visits..."

The sword was heavy in his hands, but he didn't stutter his response, "No. Neither I nor my sister, have had any contact with him up until the battle yesterday. I can't even recall a memory of him."

"And you truly lead the battle against Valentine and your father?"

"Yes, I did."

Imogen's poker face rivaled her grandson's, but Alec was good at reading through them and could tell she hadn't believed it until the sword proved it true.

"Robert is currently in the Silent City with the other Circle members awaiting trial. Some may face death, others might be branded as traitors and deruned. Do you feel we should show him leniency?"

He assumed she was trying to gauge his loyalty to his father in this odd line of questioning, though he couldn't tell why she thought he'd have any loyalty to him in the first place.

"No, I don't. I feel that whatever you do with him will be just. Robert Lightwood means nothing to me; he chose the Circle over this family, and he'll face the consequence of that choice."

"And you chose to trust Jace Herondale, a member of the Circle? Or were you not aware of that fact at the time?"

"I was aware, actually, and I didn't need a sword to know I could trust him."

Imogen sat back in her seat, eyes still resting sharply on him, "That will be enough. Elijah will escort you out while we deliberate our findings. You'll be called back in a few minutes."

Jia took the sword from his hands and went around the desk. She set it away, no longer needed.

"Deliberate _what_ exactly? If we're under trial for something, we have the right to know," Alec said. He understood the questions, the necessity to understand what had happened, but to treat them like criminals wasn't necessary.

Imogen gestured for Elijah to stand, almost looking as if she was going to ignore him, but she returned her cold gaze to him with a quirked brow, "You _are_ under trial, Mr. Lightwood. For collaboration with the Circle and their mission, as well as crimes against the Clave. If you didn't know, acting as a Shadowhunter without the Clave's knowledge, which you have attested to doing, is against our laws. Now, I will not repeat myself. Go."

His hands tightened by his sides. Yet there was nothing to say at that point; she'd made up her mind long before she'd spoken to any of them.

Elijah obeyed her orders quietly. He left his spot behind the desk and stopped in front of the exit door. He opened it and waited for them to leave first.

Alec was the only one who didn't move right away, his eyes locked firmly with Imogen's in what seemed a battle of pride. Jace took his hand in his and tugged gently, breaking their eye contact and getting his attention. Alec could hear his silence loud and clear; all he could do was obey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry December the 21st everyone! Lots of love <3


	23. Breaking the Cycles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas :)

Elijah didn't lead them far.

Down the hall from the meeting room were a couple of marble benches where he stopped and leaned against the wall to wait.

"May as well take a seat, a couple of minutes is never actually a couple of minutes," Elijah said. His arms were crossed and he didn't look at any of them.

Isabelle sat down and Alec took the spot beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "You alright?"

She nodded, "I'm fine. Wish they weren't treating us like criminals though, it's kind of insulting after everything we've done."

"Me too, though I am wondering; if they really think we're criminals, why don't they think we'll just run?" Alec gestured to the open hallway. All that stood between them and freedom was Elijah, who wasn't a threat by any means.

Magnus didn't bother with a seat and stood near them. He rubbed his fingers against his temples and sighed, "This is all for show. We've all already been pardoned, they just want to make a big drama about it; act like they're doing us the biggest favour while doing themselves the biggest inconvenience."

"What?" Alec asked. He spotted Elijah grinning, though he still didn't look up from his shoes.

"That's not even surprising," Jace said with a scoff.

"They don't send criminals letters," was all Magnus added to his previous statement.

He was frustrated, Alec could easily tell, and tried to keep himself calm in comparison even if that was proving difficult. That they would treat them so badly for no reason was infuriating, to say the least.

Nothing else was said for a few minutes. Jace paced, Izzy kicked her feet, Magnus filed his nails, and Alec watched them; none of them spoke. It was hard to find appropriate words to fill the silence and none of them tried.

Oddly, it was Elijah who spoke next.

"Jace," he said awkwardly, "I wanted to say something before we go back in there."

He stopped pacing and said, feeling suspicious, "Okay..."

"I wanted to say... I'm sorry. For acting like a dick."

Jace was startled, lips parting with words that didn't come out.

"Honestly, the Warlock-"

"Magnus. His name is Magnus," Jace interrupted bluntly through his surprise.

Elijah shuffled from one foot to the other and nodded once, "Right, yeah, Magnus. He was probably right about what's going on in there, and I agree that it's bullshit. You guys were the only ones brave enough to go after Valentine; this isn't how you should be treated. The Clave is old-fashioned and they're stubborn about politics, but just know a lot of people appreciate what you all did yesterday. That's... that's all I had to say."

He held out his hand for Jace to shake.

It wasn't denied; Jace grasped his hand firmly and a smile spread across his lips. It was a truce and Jace wouldn't say no to a new ally.

Not long after, Rachel poked her head out of the meeting room and called out for them to return.

Their jury sat waiting for them, unhurried and unbothered. Elijah rejoined them behind the desk and they settled in a line in front of it. Now was the time for their verdict.

"We'll begin with Warlock Bane; please step forward," Imogen instructed, words strict and tone monotone.

Magnus did so.

"You have been absolved of any connection to the Lightwood family and their crimes; only Shadowhunter's are required to impose our laws and whatever Alexander Lightwood did under your roof does not fall under your responsibility. Nor do we have any reason to believe you had anything to do with the Circle. You're free to go." Expecting no response from Magnus, she moved on, "Next is Jonathan Herondale, please step forward."

One stepped back, the other moved up.

"Due to your connection to the Circle, you will be required to come to the Silent City over the next several days to testify against those we've captured. And until further notice, you will remain at the New York Institute under Rachel Whitelaw's supervision. Should she have any doubts about your loyalties, you will be brought to trial again. Should you wish to leave the Institute, you will have to request a retrial. Do you understand?"

Jace stared at her blankly, blinking dazedly.

Despite what Magnus had said, he hadn't actually believed he'd be pardoned.

Being tied down to New York was hardly a punishment.

"I... Yes, I understand."

He stepped back and shot Alec a smile. The tension that had shadowed him since winning their battle finally slipped away and a wave of relief swept through him.

"Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood, please step forward."

Once they neared, Imogen remained silent for a pause as she looked them over.

She straightened up in her seat, and loudly said, "I declare, on behalf of the Clave and the Council, that the Lightwood family, excluding Robert Lightwood, is deemed innocent on all crimes related to the Circle. Maryse Lightwood will be granted a proper Shadowhunter burial."

Isabelle gasped and took hold of her brother's hand and squeezed it tightly.

Alec was not quite ready to rejoice yet.

"We couldn't come to a unanimous decision on what to do with you two from here on out, but ultimately a decision was made."

For the first time the man next to her spoke, a frown on his face, "You _should_ be brought to Idris for monitoring and training."

"But," Imogen said shooting him a look that had him closing his mouth swiftly, "Rachel volunteered to oversee all three of you."

"I thought you might like to stay in New York; you seem to have made it your home. We can discuss the logistics of lodging later." Rachel smiled, and Alec returned it.

"You mean it? We get to stay?" Isabelle asked, disbelieving.

"You do. Although the same rules apply to you as they do for Jonathan. Any questions of loyalty will be addressed, and if you want to leave the city for any reason - including travel - you'll need to get permission."

"That's... Thank you."

"And you will, of course, leave your studies and train at the Institute full time. You're both years behind everyone else," Imogen said.

"Oh," Isabelle said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that." Alec shook his head, "Isabelle's brilliant; she's going to finish her studies as planned."

"For what purpose? It's not as if she can get a mundane job while being a Shadowhunter."

"What if my education could be of use?" Isabelle asked, mind whirling.

"Of use how? All the skills you need will be taught to you at the Institute."

"I'm planning on going to University for forensic science; biology, anatomy, that sort of thing. Isn't cause of death something you look into? After my studies, I could learn more about the anatomy of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, and also learn about various supernatural mundane deaths."

"That's typically information we can get from the Silent Brothers," Imogen countered.

"Wouldn't it be better to have that information on hand? And, besides, currently I have no skills as a Shadowhunter. I would serve no benefit to the Institute as I am, but if I continue my studies and train at the same time, I could become another asset to you."

"She has a point," Rachel said.

Imogen almost looked as though she was holding back a smile. Isabelle certainly had a way of charming people.

"I'll leave this decision to Rachel. She'll be your mentor, and if she believes this education could benefit her Institute, then so be it."

Victor rolled his eyes, not quite as charmed.

"Is that it, then?" Alec asked, unwilling to believe the simplicity of their pardon.

"Not entirely," Rachel admitted, "We would also like your help."

"With what?"

"After everything that's happened with Valentine, our relationship with Downworlders has become estranged."

"For obvious reasons," Alec added.

Imogen's eyes narrowed and Rachel continued, "And we'd like your assistance in fixing that."

Alec met his sister's gaze, both equally incredulous.

"We have some ideas of our own, but with your connections to them we decided it might help to get your input," Imogen said, "We know we'll need to revisit the Accords, and we'll work on that in the next few weeks. We've also decided we would microchip all Downworlders to be able to keep track of their location, same as we have for Shadowhunters. Aside from this, perhaps you might-"

"Excuse me," Alec interrupted, "Did you say ' _microchip_ '? Did I hear that right?"

"Yes. Currently, we can track Shadowhunters using their runes, and we want to implement something similar for Downworlders. It's a way of monitoring movements and has proven beneficial in states of emergency. There have been dozens of cases of missing Downworlders in the past two decades because of Valentine, and this is a proactive way of keeping this from happening again."

"And you're really sure about that?" Alec asked, tone dripping with disbelief.

His hand shook in Isabelle's and she dug her nails into the back of his.

Magnus stepped up to them and pressed in close to Alec before Imogen could say anything in response. His hand fell into the crook of his elbow and squeezed once, "Don't, Alec," he whispered.

He turned to him and hissed, "You can't possibly agree-"

"Of course not!" Magnus whispered harshly, "But now isn't the time to be starting arguments."

Alec shook his head, "No, I'm not-" He turned from Magnus back to Imogen, "The Downworlders don't need your protection! They need you to make sure this doesn't happen again. They aren't your responsibility; your responsibility is keeping your people in line and making sure they don't go around kidnapping and murdering innocent people."

"The ideal scenario, of course, is that this doesn't happen again," Imogen said in what seemed like agreement, and then she continued, "But that isn't a promise we can make; the situation with Valentine took us all by surprise. The microchip will ensure that we're all on the same page and that we're giving them equal opportunities. If we can track Shadowhunters, it only makes sense that we should be able to track Downworlders too. It's for everyone's safety."

"You don't even hear yourself, do you?" Alec snapped, "This is bullshit. You don't want help; you want me to agree with you so you feel your shitty decisions are valid. Well, I want no part in this. My family will have no part in this. We're done here."

Alec disentangled himself from Isabelle and Magnus, turned away from the Shadowhunters, and made for the door with them and Jace by his side. The room fell into dead silence.

"Alexander!" Imogen's voice rang out sharply as they were on the verge of leaving the room completely.

Alec turned back around and glared at her, "You have _no idea_ what you're doing-"

Her hands slammed down on the desk and she stood, her piercing gaze stunning him into silence, "That's the _point_. We don't know what we're doing, we don't know how to fix this. We've spent the last twenty years not knowing who of our own we could trust, let alone what to do about the Downworlders. Our numbers are down, dozens of Shadowhunters need to be put under trial, we need to work on recruiting new people; so if you have any better ideas to share that won't impede on all of that, then come forward and tell us."

Jia, Victor, Rachel, and Elijah were all staring at their Inquisitor with mixed looks of shock and the tension in the room was palpable. Alec was getting similar treatment from his family who waited for his response with bated breath.

After several seconds passed in silence, Alec stepped forward and nodded, "I have some ideas. The first one is to drop the whole microchip thing."

Imogen slowly sat back down, "That can be arranged. What else?"

"I agree that the Accords need to be reworked. I believe there should be delegates from each race to speak for their people and to speak for their own needs. I believe the Shadowhunters owe the Downworlders an apology. You were the ones who messed up when it comes to all things Valentine; accept that and acknowledge that. Show them that you know you were at fault and show that you want to make things better."

"And you think a simple apology could do that?"

Alec was astonished that Imogen was even listening to him, let alone seemed to be taking note of his words. He answered truthfully, "No, not completely, but it's a start."

"This is also feasible," Imogen nodded, gaze heavy with thought.

"Other than that, I..." Alec paused, not sure where to continue. It was difficult to think when being put on the spot like that and it wasn't something he'd put any thought into before.

"Are we reopening the Academy?" Jace asked. He stepped up next to Alec and shot him a reassuring smile.

"As soon as possible," Jia replied.

"The Shadowhunter Academy is used to train young Shadowhunters or mundanes that will drink from the Mortal Cup," Jace explained for Alec and resumed speaking to Imogen, "The Downworlders, and all of us, have suffered a great loss with the attack on the _Praetor Lupus_. What if we offered them a space in the Academy to reform? I doubt they'd want to make it a permanent residence, but it could be a good gesture. What do you think, Magnus?"

They looked back at him.

Magnus was standing still, a hand pressed over his mouth and eyes sparkling with fascination. This whole debate was foreign to him, completely unforeseen in his centuries of life. Now someone was asking for his opinion and it was the strangest feeling.

"I... I would have to agree. The _Praetor Lupus_ is both important and necessary; having a safe place to rebuild it would be welcome. And it would certainly be a way to start fixing the strained relationship between our people."

"This one might prove a bit more difficult, but we'll see what we can do. Anything else?"

"That should be enough for one day," Magnus said, "I think it's time for us to bid our _adieu_."

Alec saw his pointed look and nodded in agreement, "If there's anything else, you know where to find us."

"We'll be in touch," Rachel said.

They didn't stall after their dismissal.

Heading home was a quiet affair. Magnus opened them a portal and their living room awaited them. Chairman Meow was sprawled across the coffee table and watched them with disinterest. Isabelle picked him up and pet him softly, using it as an excuse for her silence.

Jace sat on the loveseat and kept his right hand linked with Alec's left to keep him close. He stood by him and their eyes locked; Alec squeezed his hand and smiled softly. No one was going anywhere and it was relieving though hard to believe. There was so much ahead of them they hadn't known to expect and that was a whole other adventure they were looking forward to.

Magnus neared Alec and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close for a tight hug. The hand that wasn't holding Jace's moved to return it. Alec had spotted the shine in his eyes and waited quietly for him to say something. In the meantime, Isabelle took the seat next to Jace and continued to cuddle their cat while her curious gaze remained fixed on her family.

"You've grown up to be such a brave young man, and I am so, so, proud of you, Alexander. I love you, my darling," he spoke softly, only for them to hear.

Alec cleared his throat and bit back tears, "I love you too."

Magnus drew back, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and turned to face everyone, "I should go do... something," he said uncertainly. He was as baffled by the day's events as the rest of them.

"Call Cat?" Alec offered and Magnus quickly agreed.

"Yes, that's what I'll do. Call Cat. I'll invite her for dinner. No, let's have a dinner party and have everyone over. What do you think?"

"Will you be home in time for dinner?"

"Oh, yes, I won't be in Alicante for long. An hour or two at the most."

"Alright, sounds good."

Magnus left to make some calls. Isabelle moved over to give her brother space to squeeze in between her and Jace. They tangled into a pile of limbs and warmth.

"Is it weird that I don't know how to feel?" Izzy asked.

They both looked up at him as if he would know the answer. As if he would know more about feelings than either of them. Yet somehow this was the one time he could claim to be knowledgeable on the matter as he'd felt similarly at some point in his past. When he'd found his mother dead and his world shattered he hadn't cried.

He'd felt so empty he'd thought he was drowning.

Eventually, that had passed and so would this.

"No, it's not weird. Give it time, things will settle, and you'll feel normal again soon."

"You think so?"

"I know so. For now, we just sit tight and wait and see what tomorrow brings."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhh only the epilogue to go! With the holiday season in full swing, I shall upload that up in just a few moments :) Love you all!


	24. What Tomorrow Brought

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun... epilogue!

**1.** _Present Day..._

After a couple of hours of hauling boxes and unpacking, their progress was finally visible. Empty boxes were stacked against the wall, the provided bed was dressed in star-patterned blankets and fluffy pillows, the shelves were lined with schoolbooks, the dresser was filled with freshly washed clothes, and a desk was adorned with a sticker-covered laptop and even more books.

There were a few personal touches such as a couple of picture frames of her and her family, an old and worn sweater her brother had given her years ago was hanging over the back of the desk chair, and there were glow in the stark stickers of stars scattered across her ceiling.

Isabelle had gotten a single room in the dormitory, tuition largely covered by scholarships and the rest by Magnus, and they had all helped her move in a week before school started.

She was already feeling homesick.

**2.** _A Year Ago..._

The portal lead straight to the Morgenstern manor which had been claimed by the Clave. There had been plenty of evidence for his crimes as well as his unconscious wife and furious daughter.

Clary Fairchild was hot-headed and refused to speak to anyone until her mother was well. Valentine had done little to create a relationship with her in her time with him; she had been tainted by mundane morals and he'd been unable to convert her to his side. She would only shout and stay vigil by Jocelyn's side.

Imogen introduced her to Magnus and she warmed instantly, eased by the bond of being different from everyone else.

Magnus insisted on privacy and he was left in the room with Clary and the unconscious Jocelyn. She was laying on the bed and only appeared to be sleeping, her breaths even and her body receiving nutrition from the spell.

"How are you, dear?" he asked, kindly. Standing by Jocelyn, he opened his spellbook and flipped through it in search of the counterspell.

"I'll be better when she's awake. She's been like this for months! Do you think you can help her?"

"I'm certain of it."

The reunion between mother and daughter was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Magnus left them alone to talk and cry and reassure each other. He stayed in Alicante for a while longer, wanting to ensure Jocelyn was in good health before leaving.

She was looking forward to returning to New York to see Luke and be back in her own home. Imogen advised she would be welcome to do so, after going through her own trial, of course.

"He asked me if I knew where the cup was and I told him I didn't," Clary recounted, "he had me hold this truth sword and everything. He never asked me again though," she met Magnus' bewildered look with a grin, "I remembered a few months ago. Should I tell the Clave people?" This she asked her mother.

"If Valentine is really dead, and I believe Mr. Bane when he says so, then the Clave will need it to rebuild our numbers. I'll let Imogen know where to find it."

Magnus could only shake his head. The knowledge Valentine had wanted for so long was under his own roof; if only he could have managed to build some form of relationship with his daughter she might have been willing to tell him.

**3.** _Present Day..._

Isabelle sat down on her bed and looked around her room in wonder.

When she'd been younger and in her brother's care, she had dreamt of going to University. Considered it a privilege she'd never get to see, no matter how hard Alec worked. Then the years moved on and she had her own little family, nothing to hide from, and dreams that were no longer out of reach.

They'd arrived at the campus in a rented car packed with boxes. Magnus had insisted on tradition.

"I think that's about it," Jace said, folding one of the few boxes left untouched and stacking it against the wall. "I'll go take these out to the car."

He was dismissing himself. After all these few months Jace was starting to learn his place in their family, though at times he still seemed to feel like an outsider. Isabelle stood and gave him a long, tight, hug. She never had anything bad to say about the man who made her brother happy and who filled the cracks of their family with melted gold like old china.

"I'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Of course," he agreed.

Alec and Isabelle refused to go too long apart, not so soon after their world had flipped upside down, and Magnus had agreed to portalling her home every other weekend. She needed some uninterrupted study time, and then she had her family time.

"And you take care of my big brother, alright? Make sure he eats and gets his exercise. And let him take care of you, too."

Jace laughed softly, "It'll be tough without you to keep us in line, but I'll try my hardest."

"Good," she sniffed.

She pulled back and smiled brightly. He returned it and then resumed his task. He grabbed the pile of boxes and left the room and its three occupants.

**4.** _A Little Less Than a Year Ago..._

' _On behalf of the Clave and all Shadowhuters, we extend our sincerest apologies for the crimes that have taken place against Downworlders by the Circle over the past two decades. From this point onward, we will be looking on how best to rebuild our relationship and to prevent another such tragedy from taking place._

_Valentine's murderous claws dug deep and wide, and many of our own have been corrupted, but you have been the true victims. We know this._

_Please forward this letter and our words to all under your leadership. Should anyone, for any reason, wish to speak to the Clave on behalf of themselves or someone they deem a victim, submit a reparations request and we will put these amongst our top priorities._

_A council meeting will take place on September 16th, we request that one delegate_ _be named for each race; vampire, werewolf, warlock, and faerie, to speak on behalf of their people. Decide and vote amongst yourselves who this should be and let us know so that we may extend to them an invitation to the meeting._

_Regards, Inquisitor Imogen Herondale._ '

Magnus read the letter he'd received that morning with the Herondale wax seal across it in silence. With nothing to say, he passed it on to Alec, with Jace and Isabelle reading over his shoulder.

They had actually done it. They had taken responsibility for something and apologized. Magnus couldn't believe his eyes and had needed to read over the words several times for it to sink in.

None of the Shadowhunters surrounding him could truly know what it felt like to have gone from being regarded as literally _nothing_ to suddenly getting an apology for horrid crimes against his people. It was the strangest feeling, but he couldn't feel happy about it. Too much had been lost in the in-between.

As High Warlock, Magnus was in charge of passing the notice to the other warlocks in his area and a meeting was soon held to appoint a delegate.

By unanimous decision thanks to his already infamous status and then with his role in Valentine's death, Magnus was selected to speak for the warlocks.

The wheels of change were spinning and even with all the time in the world at his disposal, Magnus wished for more hours and days to settle down and process what was happening around him.

**5.** _Present Day..._

Magnus waved his hand in a sparkle of blue magic and a small brown pot appeared on her desk. Sprouting from the dirt within it was a round and prickly cactus. Isabelle was allergic to most flowers, and this plant would prove hard to kill. There was already a lot of life spread across the room with her knick-knacks, but a little more wouldn't hurt.

"I don't trust Jace not to get himself roped into some stupid college kids stuff, so I'll take my hug before I leave you too."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. He held her closely. His heart felt heavy; he was going to be an empty-nester soon. He never thought that would be a feeling he'd ever experience and now he understood the ache and longing he'd only ever heard and read about previously.

He would stay home with only a cat for company while his youngest was off to college and his eldest would be leaving to teach and learn.

And to think, all of this had started in an alley in New York City.

"I'll be seeing you soon, darling. Labour day weekend isn't far."

"I know."

"And you'll be back for good before you know it. You'll be at the Institute, of course, but it'll be closer and we'll be able to see each other whenever we like."

"I know," she said and rolled her misty eyes though he couldn't see it, "I miss you already, too."

He pulled back and shrugged in surrender, "I'll call you tomorrow. I'm not wearing waterproof mascara, so I'm leaving before I start crying. Take care, Isabelle."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and left her and Alec alone.

**6.** _Eleven Months Ago..._

On a Wednesday they were all standing in the Institute for Maryse Lightwood's burial. There wasn't anything to recuperate from Puerto Rico, as Alec told them solemnly, and so they all stood before a rectangular stone table with a white cloth draped over it on which sat a framed portrait of a young Maryse.

In it, she was smiling and glowing from her first pregnancy. Magnus had gotten the image from one of Luke's memories, as Alec's and Isabelle's were too hazy, and it was a proper testament to the woman that she had truly been outside of the Circle.

A couple Silent Brothers handled the ceremony and had arranged to put her name in the Silent City, although there was no body to lay at rest.

There weren't a lot of people there as most of those who had been close to her now were imprisoned or long dead.

Alec had put up a fight for Magnus and Luke to be allowed to join them, as Downworlders were generally barred from partaking in Shadowhunter funerals. That was a battle he'd won after a lot of talk of tradition. They were both standing tall and somber behind him, dressed in white as per their customs.

Isabelle and Jace were by his sides, each holding a hand. One to take comfort and the other to offer it.

As he so often had growing up, he wondered what she'd say if she could see him now. If she would be proud.

" _Ave atque vale._ "

**7.** _Present Day..._

Alec had only spoken to Jace on the matter, but despite his proud words and reassurances, he could hardly bear the thought of leaving his sister.

He would, of course, but there was no part of it that would be easy no matter how hard Magnus was trying to help. Weekends, holidays, vacations; they would be spent as a family. Isabelle would return from college and Alec and Jace from their own duties.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

She looked around the room and then met his gaze, "Good, I think. Kind of scared, too."

"You'll do great," he said, knowing it for a fact.

"So will you," she said and smiled.

He and Jace had spent several months training with the Whitelaws at the Institute and eventually the Shadowhunter Academy had been rebuilt with a wing designated solely to the _Praetor Lupus_ , a proposal and peace offering the Downworlders had readily accepted. They had both been invited, or more precisely ordered, to go there to teach.

There were only so many people to spare and Jace was known as the greatest Shadowhuter of their generation for a reason. Alec wasn't sure why he'd been asked to join, though they had also offered him the opportunity to continue his training and education at the same time.

He had asked to start in September, which was hardly a delay, so that he could stay with Isabelle as long as possible and they had begrudgingly accepted. He and Jace would be leaving in a few days and Magnus would be on his own again. Despite the love they'd been given over the years, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd be glad to have his home back after the kids he'd taken in on a whim so many years ago would finally be moving out.

Alec held his arms open and she fell into the open space. He was the first to shed a tear, which only set her off. Neither of them spoke, letting themselves feel and cry while they still had each other in arms reach.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, big brother."

**8.** _Ten Months Ago..._

On a Monday, Robert Lightwood was deemed guilty on all charges and sentenced to death.

Neither of his children were present.

When asked for his thoughts with an inquisitive stare, Alec had nothing to say. He was indifferent to the man that was biologically his father; he had enough loyal and loving family members that he felt no need to have a connection with him.

Isabelle had a sad look in her eyes but didn't have anything to say either.

**9.** _Present Day..._

They took their time, as neither Jace nor Magnus would expect them to hurry, but eventually, Alec had to take his leave too. If he didn't, he might never manage to tear himself away.

"Be good. Call me if you need anything or if you need to talk."

He gave her one last quick hug and kissed her cheek before turning around and leaving her room. He refused to look back.

Jace and Magnus were leaning against their rented car, a black Toyota Camry, and were chatting softly. They stopped when they spotted him approaching. Jace pushed off the car and pulled him into an embrace.

Alec knew his eyes were puffy from crying and his cheeks were stained red from tears, but Jace was kind enough not to point it out.

"I've never been apart from her for anything more than twelve hours," Alec said, voice strained.

"I know," Jace said because they'd spent the last couple of weeks talking about this day in a seemingly never-ending cycle of pride and sadness. He caressed his face in his hands and kissed him gently, "Let's go home. We have our own adventure to prepare for."

"We do," Alec agreed, "I know I've been... you know, but I'm looking forward to this. With you."

There was a loud beep, suddenly, and Alec looked over Jace's shoulder at a laughing Magnus. His finger was hooked in the car's keyring and he raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry to break the lovely moment, boys, but shall we?" He gestured towards their awaiting vehicle.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get going."

Alec took Jace's hand, pressed another kiss to his lips, and lead them to the car.

He was right, they had another adventure waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Here we are. The ending.
> 
> Thank you for joining me on this crazy ride. I really hope whoever's stayed with me up to the end has enjoyed it. Please leave me a message with your thoughts, it would truly mean the world.
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos, you have no idea how much it helped in getting this story completed. You're all amazing and wonderful. All the love <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please leave a comment with your thoughts! I'd really love to hear from you! And if you enjoyed it please leave a kuddos :)


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